The Fractured Fairytale
by CJ - Lady of Gryffindor
Summary: Disappointed once again by his fiancee, George drowns his sorrows at the annual Halloween Festival where a beautiful dark haired woman in a feathered mask catches his attention. The next morning, he wakes to find her gone, his only clue-the shoe she left behind. He begins a desperate search for her, but will finding her lead to Happily Ever After or the deepest pain hes ever known?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

* * *

Prologue

* * *

_He shifted the delicate shoe from hand to hand while he watched her from the safety of the trees. She stood with her back to him in the quiet, the sole being at the end of the mossy dock that rose over the lake. She looked so peaceful that it seemed almost a shame to disturb her, but disturb her he must. He had been searching for her for far too long to turn away now._

_And yet, he was unable to move. His feet stood glued to the spot, refusing the take the first step the remove the vast space between the two of them. Instead, he watched her silently while her hair blew in the wind, a curtain of blonde that whispered over her shoulders and back, and he found it captivating. Even in the beginning, when there had been so little that he remembered, he had remembered her hair - the glossy strands spread over his pillows in the moonlight._

_It was it's true color now as she stood in the sunshine and as he looked at her, he wondered why he had not figured it out sooner. She had been right under his nose all this time, working just two doors down from his shop - and yet, all this time, she had escaped his notice. That she had done it on purpose mattered little. He should have known, should have realized…_

_She shifted slightly, causing the boards of the dock to creak, breaking him out of his thoughts. He gripped the shoe he held tightly, wrapping a fist around the delicate clear acrylic heel, then took a step onto the dock. Each step brought him closer, the moment that was so long overdue - now moments away. Only a few yards separated them when he stepped on a loose board and it creaked loudly under his foot. She turned to face him and in her eyes, - at last - he saw the truth that she could not deny._

_It was she. It really and truly was her. At last, he had found her._

_He stopped and they stared into one another's eyes, silver into brown, while the moments ticked away in silence. Questions heavy in the air, rushing forward where they were met with resistance, and he realized - had it been up to her, he never would have found out that she was the one. She was afraid of something; he realized as he looked at her closer. Yes - she was afraid. But why - what could she possibly have to fear? They were friends; they had known one another their entire lives - why…_

_And then he noticed something that he had not noticed before. Something that she could no longer hide - though she was desperately trying._

_The shoe fell from his hand and landed with a thud upon the dock._


	2. Unhappily Ever After

Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

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A/N So, here I am again. I hadn't planned on writing any more Harry Potter as interest in HP has gone down since the last movie came out. BUT... I had this nearly done and figured I might as well finish it and put it up. Warning, this will be darker than my normal stuff and light on fluff. I know, that's bad, but even worse, I brought Fred back to life and made Angelina a nice person. Blech. Anyway, for what it is, I hope you enjoy it. I'm not expecting much in the way of reviews, but feel free to surprise me.

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The Fractured Fairy Tale

Chapter One

Unhappily Ever After

* * *

-Six Months Earlier

* * *

He knew he should be used to it, it was hardly the first time, but even after three years, it still pissed him off as much as it had the first time she had baled on him.

George Weasley had known from the moment she was drafted to play for the Holyhead Harpies, that Alicia Spinnett would put Quidditch first. He had watched his twin brother Fred left behind for over a year while his wife Angelina went on away games, training camp, and did promotional tours. It hadn't bothered Fred, and so he assumed that it wouldn't bother him. He didn't let it stand in his way when the time came to propose.

But it did bother him, right from the very start. For some reason, Fred and Angelina had always been able to make it work. She managed to make it home for his birthday, and for their anniversary. During the off season, she passed on the extra's, doing bookings only if they were close to home. Alicia had too, at least up until the past year.

The past eleven months they had seen each other less and less, they had postponed the wedding twice now. He knew he should be angry, and yet, he knew what the difference was. Alicia's career was going places, big places, while Angelina's was beginning to fail. It was easier for Angelina to be there for Fred because she was not anywhere near as in demand as Alicia. He was happy for her, happy that she was a success, but at what cost?

He looked across the bedroom at her; he was angry, yet trying desperately not to let her see it. George had never wanted to be the kind of man who would stand in the way of someone's dreams, but they had already postponed the wedding twice; how long was he supposed to wait? When would it be his turn to be number one in her life?

"You can't put this off?" He sat on the side of the bed watching her pack. She had only been there over night, just the day before she had come home from Japan with the promise to be there for the Diagon Alley Halloween Festival - and now, after an owl from her agent, she was on her way out the door again.

"George, this is a huge opportunity. I mean…huge, humongous." Alicia dropped a stack of clothes in her bag and turned to him, her eyes pleading. "Please understand, this is important to my career, it is important to me."

Understand. He had understood when she blew off their anniversary in May, his birthday in April, and when she begged him to postpone their June wedding. He understood when she missed Ron and Hermione's wedding the previous March, when she told him she would be missing Harry and Ginny's wedding in January, even when she had postponed their wedding again in August. Tomorrow night, he and Fred would be announcing the opening of their second shop in Hogsmeade, and he was supposed to be understanding about that too. All so she could do a photo shoot for an ad for women's Quidditch boots.

"This is important to me too. It is a big night for us. You can't do your photo shoot and come back? How long does it take to take a few pictures?"

She stared at him, dumfounded. He really didn't understand how important this all was to her, that playing Quidditch was, in reality, only a small part of being on an international Quidditch team. There were obligations, responsibilities beyond the Quidditch pitch, things she had to do if she wanted to stay on top. Particularly considering it was his own sister who was the new rising star, Ginny Weasley was her biggest threat - not that she dared tell him that. It would only make things worse.

"I'm sorry George, the sponsors want to discuss more layouts over dinner, it will be very late when we finish up. I'll be home in the morning though."

George stood and glared at her for a moment, desperately forcing himself under control- he was angry now. There were so many things he wanted to say, none of them very nice. Instead, he took a deep breath and counted from twenty backwards, then turned towards the door.

"Guess I'll see you when I see you then."

"George…" Alicia called out after him - he ignored her slammed the door.

* * *

In the four years since the war, Luna Lovegood had plenty of time to get used to the horrible feelings that came over her every time she entered Faulkner Center. Maybe it was the high concentration of Wrackspurts, or the nargles she felt lurking in every corner, but she never felt at ease here. The moment she opened the door she was overcome with a sort of sickness - a sickness of the soul.

It was her fault that he was here, that he had spent six months in Azkaban with the dementors in his head. She could only imagine the images they had tortured him with, pictures of her mother dying in his arms, Luna crying at his elbow while he tried uselessly to revive her. Yes, that was surely what Xenophilius Lovegood saw, what he dementors had used to drive him to insanity. He was her father, and now he was what so many had accused him of being for so long - mad, and it was all her fault.

"Good afternoon Miss Lovegood" An overly cheerful woman wearing peach colored robes sat behind a desk in the entry. The room was light and airy, lit from above by a skylight with magical never ending sunshine. The walls were painted a cheery cream color, the furnishings and curtains pale mauve. Potted plants sat around the room, and magazines - all current issues - sat atop the light wooden coffee tables. As far as sanitariums went, Luna knew it could be much, much, worse. If not for the fact that she had influential friends, and a bit of influence herself, her father would be in one of those much worse places.

"Good afternoon Charlotte." Luna stepped up to the check in desk, pulling her wallet from her shoulder bag to take out her identification. She scanned it over the bowl of misty fog, and then waited patiently. A moment later, a blue and white card popped out of the fog bearing Luna's name and photograph, the word Visitor stamped across the bottom. She clipped it onto her blouse, then placed her Identification back in her wallet and moved down the desk to sign in.

Charlotte pointed her wand at a monitor that was embedded into the desk, and then smiled up at Luna again.

"Your father just returned from occupational therapy, he'll be so happy to see you." She smiled winningly, and Luna tried to smile in return - her smile was more like a painful grimace. Her father hadn't recognized her in years.

A buzzer sounded and the door to Luna's left slid open, admitting her onto the ward.

"Thanks Charlotte." Luna smiled again, a smile more real this time.

"Happy Halloween!" Charlotte called out as the door slid closed behind her.

Her words made Luna wish, as she so often did, that her fathers ward allowed flowers. She would have liked to have brought him something. Perhaps a vase filled with red and gold fall leaves, a ceramic lighted pumpkin or maybe a jar of live miniature bats. Her father was prone to smashing things when he became agitated, it was not allowed.

She found him sitting by the window, staring off at some distant thing. It reminded her of her childhood, of how they went into the forest to watch the birds in the trees. Her father said bird nests held a special kind of blessing, the magic of new life, yet they were never to be touched. Never, ever, ever. Instead, they would search them out, then sit and watch from above while mother birds would feed their young.

"One day my dear Luna," he would say, "You too will be a mother bird. You too will protect your young, and a good mother bird would even protect with their life."

He had never told her about a father bird driven into insanity for protecting his young.

"Hi daddy," She said, her voice soft, careful not to startle him. She walked quietly, loud noise tended to agitate him. Perhaps it reminded him of the explosion.

He turned to her slowly, his silver eyes like alertness through heavy fog. As always, Luna longed for the Xenophilius of her childhood. This Xenophilius was nearly bald, the remainder of his hair cut into a short crop close to his head to make it easier to care for. His face was thin and gaunt, his skin the shade of parchment, the texture nearly the same. Wrinkled and withered. Yet his appearance was not the worst - no - the worst was yet to come.

"Carina?" His voice was weak, a watered down version of his loud deep bass. "Carina, is that you?"

It was the worst pain Luna had ever felt, at least, the worst since the day her mother died.

"No daddy," She said softly, laying her bag on a nearby table "It's Luna."

"Luna…" Xenophilius smiled happily, his mind focused on the tiny girl that existed in his memory - who was still a small child within the madness. "I got her to sleep early tonight Carina, she's sleeping like a little angel."

Luna sighed and knelt down next to him, laying her cheek upon his hand where it rested limply on the arm of his chair. She closed her eyes, trying to picture what her father was seeing. Her mother just returned home - maybe from a shopping trip with her sister, or maybe from visiting her mother. Her baby self, peacefully sleeping in her crib while her parents spent a quiet evening together. Maybe they passed the time staring into one another's eyes, so in love they didn't need conversation - their eyes saying all their words never could.

His hand reached out, brushing over her long blonde hair - the hair that Xenophilius had told her many times was just like Carina's. This was how they spent their visits, quietly, his hand brushing over her hair while neither said a word. He lived in a time where Carina Lovegood was still alive, a time that hearing him speak of it was beautiful torture to Luna. Usually she could take it, but not today. Today she just wanted the quiet, to feel like his little girl.

They sat there quietly while an hour passed, and then another, until the sound of rattling carts roused her. They would be bringing his lunch soon, morning visiting hours were over. She rose to her feet slowly, then bent and kissed his cheek.

"I have to go Daddy, but I'll come back tomorrow."

"Carina," He shook his head "Are you running off to see Cassiopeia again? You know you two always get into trouble when you are together."

Luna could not help smiling now, the stories of her mother and Aunt Cassiopeia were epic, and she loved every, single one. Aunt Cass was only eleven months older than her mother, Carina, was. They were practically twins, identical in nearly every way - they had even been born on the same day of the month. Cass on February 25th, and Carina on January 25th. They were inseparable the two Corvus girls, you never saw one without the other. And then came adulthood, Carina's marriage and Luna, then Cass's move to study anthropology, put a natural gap between them. After the war, Aunt Cass moved back from Egypt and taken over running the Quibbler, she and Luna now worked side by side and would until Luna felt ready to take it over on her own. She was in no hurry, having Aunt Cass around was a lot like having a surrogate mother.

"You must stay home Carina," Xenophilius gave her a look of deep disapproval. "Our Luna needs you more than Cassiopeia."

"Alright," Luna smiled and gave his hand a gentle squeeze "I'll be good."

"You must check," He pointed towards the closet door "I think I hear our sweet girl about to wake, you check her and I'll go make her bottle."

"I will Daddy," Luna wiped away a swath of tears, and then she bent and kissed his cheek. "I'll check her."

Xenophilius smiled, and then went back to staring out the window, perhaps preparing Luna's bottle in his mind.

* * *

Angelina Weasley could not remember the last time she had seen George in such a dour mood, even in August when Alicia dropped the bomb that she wanted to postpone the wedding again, he seemed to take it in stride. Almost like he had expected it - he probably had.

It was infuriating to watch the two of them; it was bad enough that Alicia was putting everything in front of their relationship, but it was worse that he was letting her get away with it. It didn't seem like the George she knew, the wild, free - spirited boy with the deep love for family. The man who had confessed to her just after she married his brother that he longed for a family of his own. There had been a time, just after the war, when Alicia told her she wanted the same thing - now Angelina was sure her feelings had changed. And she knew, better than anyone else she supposed, that the lure of fame and glory was behind it.

She had nearly been sucked in herself. In her first year, she had started a steady rise to the top - a rise with a bullet. She was a natural athlete, speedy, with quick reflexes and agility, not to mention an almost scary competitiveness. The night the others were battling Voldemort, she was in Canada, and while most of the team apparated back to help in the fight, she stayed behind - heaven forbid she injure herself.

Then the names started coming in, the names of the lost and injured. Schoolmates and friends, people she had barely known, and some she wished she had known better. The league cancelled the rest of the season, when she returned home, Fred was rightfully angry with her and even then, she had done the same as Alicia. Always one promotional tour after another, clinics and appearances - and then, one bad block and a double shoulder injury later, her Quidditch career nearly ended.

It put things into perspective, she realized then that no matter what she did, Quidditch wouldn't last forever - but if she did things right, if she quit being selfish and putting herself first - her relationship with Fred would. They were married the first spring after the war, and the rest was history. They had been living happily ever after since.

George and Alicia, who had always been friends, started seeing one another after Fred and Angelina's wedding. George was best man, Alicia maid of honor; it seemed like one of those storybook endings - their own happily ever after. But now, Angelina was starting to wonder if it was meant to be. If George's mood was any indication, perhaps it might be best if they put the book down and just walked away.

"Damn it!" George cursed, a box of daydream charms landing on the floor at his feet. He couldn't help but think it was a bit ironic, dreams crashing around his feet, considering what Alicia had done that morning. He bent down to pick them up, righting the box, then checking the seals to assure that none of them had broken. The way his day was going, they would probably all have to be trashed.

"Don't worry about it," Angelina smiled, leaning over the counter "Those things can be tossed through broken glass and they won't break."

'Unlike your heart' Angelina thought spitefully, her ire directed at the girl who was quickly losing ground as her best friend.

"Yeah? Tell it to the box I already broke," He nodded over to the trash can where, sure enough, a pile of broken daydream charms lay atop a box of broken wonder witch instant pimple remover. At this rate, George would have the shop destroyed by the time the sun went down.

"Hmm," Angelina couldn't resist a small smile "You're more pissed off than I realized."

George gave her a short glare over his shoulder, then broke out into a grin. His sister-in-law was pretty hard to get angry with. The longer she and Fred were married, the more Fred-like she became. She was even starting to pick up his smirk.

"Yeah, guess I am." He straightened, pleased to see that the seals on all the charms had held up to his mood. He slid the box onto the display, and then leaned on the counter.

"When did Fred say he would be back?"

"He wasn't sure." She turned towards a wall on the shelf, pulled two blood pops from a jar and then handed one to George. "No later than two I'm sure, there is still so much to do around here, particularly since…" She trailed off at the look that crossed his face, a feeling of guilt crossing her own. She had not meant to bring it up.

"Since Alicia bailed?" He raised an eyebrow "It's okay, you can say it. Seriously Angie, pretending it didn't happen isn't going to change the fact that she ditched me again."

"She would be here if she could." Angelina said, the old need to defend her best friend rising to the surface, even though she deeply felt that said friend did not deserve to be defended. Not anymore. She was sick of seeing that hurt look on George's face. Fred was sick of it too, in fact, he might have been even more pissed off than she and George put together.

"Nice try, but we both know better." George sighed then stuck the blood pop in his mouth "The only thing Alicia cares about anymore is Quidditch and how much she can make from playing Quidditch."

She didn't know what to say- how do you argue with the truth?

"Why can't she be more like you and Ginny?" He looked at her imploringly, a deep need for answers oozing from his every pore. "You both play professionally, you are both popular players and neither of you do what she's doing."

Angelina sighed and leaned down on her elbows, fighting to hide the familiar ache in her shoulders. It was getting harder these days, more painful as time went on. Soon she would have to make a difficult decision, one that truth be told, had already been made for her. She was running out of time.

"You know the difference George," She looked at him sadly, trying desperately to hide how much it hurt, not just physically, but emotionally as well.

And he did know, but even when Angelina had been at the top - she hadn't been like this. She had not been like Alicia.

He reached over and touched her hand. "I didn't mean to … I don't…" Hell, he had really dug himself in this time. "I'm sorry Angie."

She took a deep breath and smiled at him. "It's okay George. I've known this was coming for awhile now, I guess it's time I face it and prepare to move on."

His head shot up and he stared at her in surprise. He had known she would be forced to stop, but he had been thinking in terms of her having years left, five, maybe even ten. She was only twenty-four. Angelina's smile didn't waver, even though she saw the shocked look on his face. She had known it was coming, she hadn't told anyone but Fred.

"Angie, are you sure this is what you want?"

"Want?" Her smile slipped a bit, and then she caught herself and put it back in place. "No, I can't say that, but it is for the best. Alicia is leading the league in scoring, Ginny is too good to be sitting on the bench, and she's ready to take my place…"

"But Gwenog, she…"

"Gwenog will be relieved." Angelina shook her head, the painful smile harder to maintain now. This was the hardest part, knowing that her value had gone down, that she was no longer on top. "My shoulders are shot, I'm dropping the quaffle as much as I am catching it during practice, and it's starting to happen during matches, even with all the healing charms they use to loosen my muscles.

"Healer Adams says if I keep playing it could get worse. I might not be able to use my arms to do anything." She raised her chin and smiled. "I want kids, and when I have them, I want to be able to pick them up. So, I'll finish off the season on the bench, and announce my retirement before the play-offs for the cup. End of story."

George picked her hands up in his. It made him feel petty, like a selfish git. He had his health and a shop that he loved. Angelina lived in near constant pain and she was losing more than a career, she was being forced to give up something she loved. It all seemed so unfair.

"I'm sorry Angie, with all that you have going on, you don't need to listen to my whining too."

"I like your whining," She teased, wrapping her fingers around his and giving them a tight squeeze. "You're my brother George, I want to help you."

It was sweet of her, knowing what she was going through, and still she wanted to be there for him. He had always known Angelina was special.

"You do help me, you and Fred both." And they did, just by being there, which only made him feel worse about Angelina's Quidditch career being over too soon.

"You, Angelina Weasley," He leaned over the counter and kissed her cheek "Are the best chaser the Holyhead Harpies ever had. They are going to be lost without you."

Angelina smiled back at him, her face beaming as she thought about how fortunate she had been to been taken into such an amazing family. To be loved by Fred, to have a brother in law like George who was more brother than law. She never made that distinction, it simply did not exist. Not between them.

"You are pretty awesome yourself George Weasley," she gave his hands another squeeze before reaching up to cup his face in her hands and pull him closer. "And if Alicia Spinnett can't see what she's risking by treating you this way, then she deserves to lose you. You deserve better George, you deserve much, much better than the way she is treating you." She kissed his forehead, smiled, and then turned away to go back to stocking shelves behind the counter.

He stared at her back for a moment before turning back to his own stocking, her words reverberating in his ears. He knew them to be true, he did deserve better, but what was he to do? Maybe in time she would see what Angelina had, that what they shared was more important than fame, that he was more important than money. Maybe in time, if he was patient, they could have happily ever after.

* * *

As was typical after visiting her father, Luna had trouble concentrating on her work that afternoon. Her mind was hopelessly fixed on one thing, his blank stare while he spoke to her as if she were her mother Carina, his insistence that she was still a baby asleep in her crib. Sometimes, she almost wished that he had perished. Surely his death would have been less painful that this? When these thoughts came she chastised herself, she hated herself for thinking in such a way. Even a mad father was better than no father at all. His heart was growing weaker, he had already had two heart attacks, and the last time his healer had all but begged her to let him go. But she couldn't - she simply could not let him die. Not yet, though she had no idea what she was waiting for. Luna shook herself; she didn't need to be thinking about such things now. Rolf would be coming soon and it always made him sad to see her in such a mood.

Luna and Rolf Scamander had met at a campus newsstand - both were reaching for the November issue of the Quibbler. Luna was surprised, the Quibbler was a big seller in other parts of the wizarding world, but among the university set - the types who deal in fact instead of fantasy - it was not a popular magazine and only sold one other issue- she always kept track. Now she found herself face to face with person number two.

Rolf, it turned out, was a long time subscriber, even back before it ran Rita Skeeter's exclusive interview with Harry Potter about the night Voldemort returned. A cup of coffee in a nearby coffee shop turned into an all night discussion on the mating rituals of Crumple Horned Snorkacks, the horrible Wrackspurt infestation in Rolf's dorm and Luna's sure theory that Nargles were behind fact that Merlin University's Quidditch team - The Merlin Menace- was 0 and 3. The next day, he enlisted Luna's help making charms to rid his dorm of the Wrackspurt problem, and the Saturday after, they hung charms in the Quidditch team's locker room, which resulted in the Menace's first win of the season.

High on their success, Rolf asked Luna out on their first date, and they had been together since - nearly three years. Soon, he would be arriving so they could spend Halloween together before Rolf left to spend six weeks in a rain forest in Africa. Luna was supposed to go too, but in the end, she had changed her mind - she just couldn't leave her father for that long. What if he succumbed during that time? What if his heart gave out and she was too far away to get back in time to say goodbye? Rolf was not going to be happy when she told him - but what else could she do?

Luna forced her mind back to the task at hand, working on an article for the Quibbler. It seemed a Bowtruckle war in the forest around Hogwarts was in the early stages - the east forest had begun hoarding wood lice and now the west forest was suffering shortages. This thing could end up quite bloody before it ended, some even thought it could be worse than the battle of Hogwarts. Those people, Luna thought, had pretty small memories. She was not one of them, she would never forget that horrible night.

Luna shook her head with disgust as the front door of the office opened. Rolf had arrived, now she had no choice but to force herself into a better mood, maybe it was just what she needed.

"Hello beautiful," He smiled, bending down by her chair and kissing her cheek. From behind his back, he pulled out a cone of red and gold fall leaves. "Working hard as always I see."

"Yes, as always." She smiled and allowed him to kiss her, a kiss she barely felt the energy to return. She took the cone, reaching for a vase on the edge of her desk, then dumped the old wilted chrysanthemums out and waved her wand, filling it with fresh water before putting in the fresh leaves. "Thank you Rolf, they're lovely."

Rolf appraised her carefully, leaning back against the desk across from Luna. "You've seen your father today."

She sighed and leaned on her elbows, burying her face in her hands. She really couldn't hide anything from him. He knew her too well. "Yes, I have."

"Luna…" He began, and then stopped when he saw the storm beginning in her eyes. It was pointless to try to talk Luna out of going to see her father so often, to try to reason with her that he barely knew she was there and when he did, that he had no idea who she was. There was absolutely no reason to do it, all it ever did was lead to rows between them - nasty ones. But if he cared about her, shouldn't he at least try?

"I know what you are going to say Rolf, so don't." It was all well and good for Rolf Scamander to tell her to abandon her father, his father had died when he was a baby, and his mother was remarried and distant. The only family he cared about was his rich grandfather Newt, and that was because he had died and left Rolf all his money, and the continuing royalties from ' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them ' .

"Not unless you want to make me really angry."

Rolf looked at her for another minute, trying desperately to understand. He knew Luna was an only child, that she had been raised by a doting father who had coddled and spoiled her. Obviously, it was because of this that she felt this need to make things worse for herself, to not let him go and free herself from the terrible pain hanging onto him brought on. As much as he tried, he couldn't wrap his mind around it. It seemed like putting your hand in fire and leaving it there to burn. He had been with her through two heart attacks, it seemed as if nature was giving her a way out, a way out without guilt, and she was refusing to accept it. Even though the healers told her it was inevitable. Xenophilius Lovegood was dying, the only matter was when. She was just delaying the inevitable.

"I'm sorry," He moved back to her side, and then took her hands in his. "I don't want to row."

"You're right." She worked up a smile and steeled herself. As long as they were discussing unpleasant things, she might as well tell him now about Africa. She might as well get it out of the way so they could enjoy the weekend.

"Rolf, we need to talk, about Africa."

He looked at her guiltily and Luna realized that something else was afoot. Now that she thought about it, he had seemed off since he arrived, he kept looking away from her and at first she thought it was because of their discussion about her father, but now, she was fairly sure that was the least of her concerns.

"We do," he looked away from her again and she didn't miss it this time, the oh so obvious guilt. "How about we go and have a late lunch, I skipped breakfast and I am half starved. We can talk there."

"I have a better idea." She planted herself back in her chair. She hadn't been born the day before, Luna knew hedging when she saw it. Rolf was definitely hedging. "How about you tell me what it going on."

Rolf stood staring, trying to decide whether or not to push the idea of lunch. This was not going according to plan, he was pretty sure he had spoke too soon. For all he knew, Luna had been just about to tell him she couldn't go to Africa because of her father - that would have made things so much easier. At least, for the next six weeks.

He sighed finally and pulled the chair from the other desk to sit in front of her. He was putting himself within range if she decided to hit him - it would hardly be the first time - but then if she was truly angry, he couldn't avoid her wand no matter where he stood.

"I have been offered an apprenticeship."

"I know you have, " She looked at him as if he were being rather dim. Luna had already completed her major in journalism, but she had yet to complete her practical apprenticeship required for her minor in magical creatures. Rolf was going on to graduate school in January, but he needed to complete his apprenticeship first. Rolf had said it was fate when they had both applied and then been accepted by the Scamander Institute in Africa, Luna reckoned some gold had changed hands. It made it even more difficult for her that she was about to back out on him. It meant never finishing her minor, at least, not now. But she had plenty of time for that in the future. One day, she had promised herself, she would.

"No," Rolf shook his head "It's not... I've been offered another apprenticeship. At the Trimegistus Institute, in the Ukraine."

Luna looked at him as if he had gone mad, or perhaps, that she thought she might have. Trimegistus was the most prestigious of all magical creature institutes in the magical world. Rolf's grandfather had been on the board there for years before his retirement, his father had been a student, and then went back as an instructor. It was only natural, she supposed, that Rolf would go there as well. Someday he would probably return there to teach. It really didn't matter to them though, six weeks in Africa, six weeks in the Ukraine - if anything, it would make it easier for her to tell him she couldn't go. So really, this was good news.

"That's wonderful Rolf," Luna threw her arms around him and kissed him, then pulled back to smile into his eyes. Was it bad that she felt relieved that she did not have to make him angry now? No, not really. Not when he was going some place even better. They were both winning this way. They could both be happy. "Congratulations, you must be so thrilled."

She didn't like the way he was looking at her. He wasn't smiling, his eyes were not crinkled in the way that she always found so warm and welcoming. In fact, he looked afraid. Of her?

"Rolf, what is it?" She let go of him and pulled back, concerned now. He hadn't told her everything, not yet. The worst was yet to come it seemed. .

"The apprenticeship is a bit longer than we'd planned."

"How much longer?"

"I will be gone a year."

Luna felt the world drop from underneath her. A year? He couldn't possibly mean a whole entire year? Rolf looked at her worriedly, then acted quickly to try to put her mind at ease.

"I'll be able to visit."

"Weekends?" She asked hopefully

"No," He grasped her hands tightly, whether to reassure her, or to stop her from going for her wand, he was not sure. "Not so often."

"How often Rolf?" She glared at him accusingly, as if her eyes were silver bullets that had the ability to rip him apart. He shrank back, fearing that very thing. He swallowed deeply before giving her his answer.

"I will have to return for a seminar with my advisor, every six weeks. I'll have twenty-four hour leave." He looked at her pleadingly, begging her to understand. This was the chance of a lifetime, something no one in their right mind would pass up. Surely she must understand that, this was the culmination of everything he had worked so hard for.

"So, I will see you once every six weeks, one day out of every month and a half, but not really because you will be spending the whole afternoon with your advisor." She looked at him accusingly, her eyes darkened to the color of slate "And you think …what? That you will give me just enough attention to keep me on your leash?"

"Actually," He said bitterly, her words digging in and leaving scars. Deep scars. How could she even think such a thing; that he would use her in such a way? After all this time, didn't she know him at all? "I think we should break up."

Luna lifted her chin stubbornly. She was Xenophilius Lovegood's daughter and he had taught her well. She was tough, strong. Too strong to let him see that he had hurt her.

"Okay then." She reached down and pulled off the silver dual signet ring bearing their initials that he had given her for their six month anniversary, then held it out to him, pinched stiffly between two fingers. It felt strange off her finger, she had never removed it, not even once in two and a half years. "If you think that is for the best."

Rolf stared at the ring she held. It was just as strange for him to see it off her finger as it was for Luna to feel it off. He had not seen her without it once since the day he put it on her finger in the middle of a lecture on cross breeding laws. That she was handing it back meant that it was over between them, it really and truly was over. Despite his words, it didn't make it any easier. But standing here, arguing, would only be worse.

Without another word, he took the ring, kissed her cheek and walked out the door.


	3. The Dancing Girl

Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

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Warning - chapter contains mature content

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o

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The Fractured Fairy Tale

Chapter Two

The Dancing Girl

* * *

If not for the fact that business was involved, George would have preferred to forgo the celebration. As much as he loved his brother and Angelina, as hard as they tried to involve him in their lives, there was no escaping that third wheel feeling when the three of them went out together. Back in the early days, back before her Alicia's career took off, that was the best time. When the four of them went out on weekends, when they went into London and visited muggle clubs - their wands hidden in their sleeves. He and Fred had protected more than one muggle girl from creepy muggle men coming onto them. Alicia and Angelina watched in amusement while the creeps legs inexplicably shot out from beneath them landing them on their behinds, lost the ability to speak, or in the case of particularly rude ones, accidentally wet their pants.

Yes, those were the happy times, back when they were a quartet, before he was the terminal third wheel. Now, he felt like a perpetual burden, someone who was- perhaps- better left behind. In this case, there was no getting around it.

It had taken them a long time to bounce back after the war. In the beginning, people didn't have money to spend on practical jokes, their every last knut and sickle went into rebuilding. Their shop needed work too, it had been broken into after they'd been forced to close their doors Everything had been cleaned out and getting restarted again took a big chunk out of their savings. It took nearly a year for business to pick up, and even then, their biggest money maker had become obsolete. No one needed shield charms or invisibility to protect them anymore.

The real problem, they realized, was that their biggest clientele was away from Diagon Alley for ten months out of the year. They needed to open the second shop - to go on with the plans they had made before the death of Albus Dumbledore. It had taken time, but at last, the time had come. The second shop was ready to begin construction in the spot where Zonko's once stood. Death Eaters had burned it to the ground the night of the battle, but Fred and George decided to rise it from the ashes - like a phoenix, brining laughter back to Hogwarts. Not that Argus Flitch would be laughing all that much.

George glared at his reflection in the mirror, he looked about as good as he was going to. After Alicia's defection, the last thing he wanted to do was wear a costume.

"George!" Fred yelled, banging loudly on the door of the flat. "Are you about ready?"

He sighed and turned away, brushing his hair over his fake ear while he pulled the door open.

"Eww," Fred grinned "That is one tragic costume. "Depressed man of business is it?"

George rolled his eyes, then started to push past to go down the stairs. "Come on, we have plenty to do, time's wasting."

Fred stopped him with a hand on his chest. " Not before you change. If Angie and I have to wear silly costumes, so do you."

He looked at Fred appraisingly, if Angelina were there, he was fairly sure she would call him anything but silly. Dashing maybe, handsome for sure. But knowing Angelina's vocabulary, she was likely to have used a word George would rather not to use in relation to his brother. He was dressed as a pirate, his hair magically grown out so it brushed against his shoulder blades, a bit of scruff over his upper lip and across his chin. He wore an eye patch, black trousers, and blindingly white shirt open to the midriff. It was tied with a red sash, from which a shining silver cutlass now dangled. Angie, he was quite sure, found him anything but silly. He also knew, Angelina had a matching costume with a daringly low cut bodice and short skirt, not the sort of thing Fred would call silly either.

"I'm not wearing a costume," He bit out shortly, trying again to push through.

"Yes you are." Fred pushed him back, "We agreed to it."

"I don't feel like it."

Fred looked him up and down knowingly, as only one who had known George his entire life could know him. "You are going to run out, aren't you? You'll stay for the announcement, then you will run back up here and be in bed by nine o'clock."

Fred had him dead to rights, the problem was, now that the cat was out of the bag, there was also no way he was going to be able to pull it off. Before, he might have been able to sneak away with neither Fred or Angelina being any the wiser, but not now - not now that he had been busted.

"George," Fred gave him a sigh that was half sympathy, half disgust. "How much longer are you planning to letting this go on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"How unhappy are you going to have to be before you see the truth?" Fred looked at him, shaking his head back and forth angrily. He wanted to shake him, to force the stubbornness out of his body, to make him see the truth. Alicia wasn't good for him, not any more. She hadn't been for a long time. "How much more is she going to have to hurt you before you end this?"

He stared at him silently, an angry retort building, He leaned back against wall and stared at a spot next to his brother. Close enough to give the illusion that he was looking him in the eye, but enough so that he didn't have to.

"Did you give up on Angelina after she didn't come to fight with us?" He countered "Did you break things off with her that first season when she got caught up and didn't make time for you?"

"No," Fred admitted, not liking the direction George was taking this. "But you can hardly compare the two things. Angie didn't come to fight, that's true. But she will be the first to say that she was selfish, that she was thinking only of herself. She feels more guilt over it than I have ever felt anger. So I will thank you not to bring that up again."

George gave Fred a painful look. He was out of line, he knew it, worse, he felt terrible for it. "I'm sorry, I was out of line."

"Yes, you were." Fred agreed, and then the sparkle returned to his eyes, the mischievous sparkle that was so familiar. "And now, for restitution, you have to put on a silly costume and get your arse downstairs. Angie is waiting for us. The Weasley's, of Weasley's Wizards Wheezes fame, must make a grand entrance."

"Merlin's nut sack, you're full of it." But George was grinning for the first time since Alicia had bailed on him the day before. Fred took this as a good sign.

"Come on George, we have been working towards this for a long time, let's go out and celebrate. We deserve it, so let's do it right."

George took a deep breath, then let it out slowly and nodded before turning back to his room to change.

* * *

Cassiopeia Corvus had never seen her niece as quiet and focused as she had been the past day and a half. Normally, Luna ran - literally - a little on the hyper side. She was always rushing about, doing this or that, checking a reference book, or looking up something in the old archives. Today, she was quiet and withdrawn, she barely spoke, her eyes were focused downwards towards the notepad on her desk, yet when Cass looked to see what she was doing - the page was mostly blank.

Cass knew what the problem was, and she knew who was to blame. It was _that boy_, that _Scamander boy_. The boy she had known from the start was destined to break her lovely Luna's heart. Oh, he was a nice enough sort, but Cassiopeia Corvus could see inside people, deep inside to their hearts, to their dreams and wishes. On the surface, Rolf and Luna seemed like they were perfectly matched, they believed in the same things, they had the same dreams. But inside, they were as different as night and day. Her Luna was much better off without him, the only trouble now was making her see it. The first step then, was to get her out into the world. Back among her friends and the people she had known long before Rolf Scamander. The Halloween Festival seemed a good place to start.

"Luna, sweetheart, surely you don't plan to stay here all night." Cass leaned on her elbows in front of Luna's desk. She was a small woman, with very long white blonde hair and quick blue eyes. She and Luna looked very much alike, if not for the fact that all of Diagon Alley knew Luna's mother was gone, they might have confused them for mother and daughter.

Luna didn't look up, but she did pretend to start writing. Some nonsense that Cass had already seen her write four times that day on an article that they had published two issues before. "What else do I have to do?"

"Rumor has it there is going to be a party tonight, right out there," She point to the large window next to the door "In the street."

Luna looked up, unable to miss the bright lights. The Weasley twins -who had the shop two doors down from her - had some big promotion going on and they had set up a large, garish display. The lights made the sidewalk in front of their street look like purple daylight it was so bright.

"So I noticed." She said blandly, then turned back to her nonsensical writing. Cass noticed that the topic had changed completely. Why was she even bothering to keep up the ruse? It was obvious that she was brooding over her break up, not doing anything productive.

"My dear, I think you need to put that quill down, put on a pretty dress, and go out among the people." Cass tilted Luna's morose face up to hers. "Such a pretty face, too pretty to be wasted on moping."

"I am not moping, I have work to do." Luna pulled her face away, silently eyeing the dress bag that hung over a hook in the corner. She and Rolf had chosen matching costumes - Nicholas Flamel and his lady love Perinelle. That so would not be happening. "Besides, it's a costume party. I don't have one."

Cass watched Luna silently for a minute, her lips pursed while her niece bent her head and went back to writing. Her third topic of choice - but now it seemed her interest had gone to methods of detaching certain male body parts to prevent reproduction. This was getting serious.

"Okay, enough of this." Cass reached down for Luna's hands, pulled the quill away, and then dragged her from the chair to the two bedroom flat they shared behind the office.

"You just wait here." She lifted a finger in warning before vanishing into the bedroom. She was not about to tolerate a single bit of defiance. Luna was going to the Halloween festival tonight whether she liked it or not. She emerged a moment later, a fluttering chiffon dress in her arms- a perfect match for the mask she held made of lush peacock feathers.

"Oh…" Luna stammered, she knew this dress. Her Aunt brought it back from China and had been saving it for a special occasion that had yet to develop. "Aunt Cass, no, you have been saving this for so long."

"Sweetheart," She took Luna's hand, leading her to the sofa to sit " It would make me happy to see you wear it. You have been so sad since Rolf left, if going to the festival helps cheer you up, it will be more than worth it."

"I don't know," Luna hedged "I just, I don't think I would be very good company right now."

"All the more reason for you to go out." Cass smiled and lay the dress aside, then she picked up Luna's hands and pulled them into her lap where she held them tightly. "It breaks my heart, seeing you so sad. I must admit, I need to do this for another reason too. I need to ease my guilt."

"Guilt?" Luna's head shot up and her silver eyes pierced her aunts. Cass had never done a thing to hurt her, what in the world could she possibly have to feel guilty for?

"Yes darling, guilt." Cass nodded her head "I feel guilty because I am selfishly glad that you are not running off to Africa and leaving your old Aunt behind."

Luna smiled, she loved her aunt and she knew how much her aunt loved her. There was no reason for feeling guilty for loving someone so much you didn't want to see them leave you. It had to have been hard on Aunt Cass, having spent the last six years of her mothers life staying in touch only by owl. By the time she got here from Egypt, Carina had already died. So, as far as Luna was concerned, it was perfectly fine for her to be happy that she was staying.

"And now, the difficult confession must come." Cass looked away from Luna's face. This part was going to be harder, it would not be easy for Luna to accept, and yet, she felt it had to be said. "I am relieved that you and Rolf have broken things off."

"You … what?" Luna pulled her hands back, her face frozen with surprise. Of all the things she had expected to hear, that was not on any list Luna could have imagined. Not even close.

"What did you just say?"

"I know," Cass looked at her sadly "It is a terrible thing to think at such a time, and it is an even more terrible thing to say. But yes, I am relieved."

"How can you say that?" Luna looked at her incredulously. It was only knowing how much her Aunt loved her that was keeping her on the sofa, from fleeing the room and never speaking to her again.

"I don't say it to hurt you, and I am saying nothing bad about Rolf Scamander." She smiled softly, then put her hands over Luna's where they were knitted tightly together in her lap, so tight that the knuckles were white.

"I think people are naturally drawn to people who are like them, it makes it easier when like comes together with like. There is no conflict, no risk of being hurt because of differences in taste. But there is also no excitement, no passion, thrills or adventure." Cass forced Luna to look in her eyes. "After all that you have been through, I understand why you would be drawn to someone like Rolf, someone safe. But, what looks perfect on paper, isn't always what is perfect for the heart."

"It was so easy for him to leave." Luna said softly "I think that's what hurts the most. After all the time we were together, he was able to just toss it like rubbish and walk away."

"Yes, some people are like that. People who are driven by their own dreams, their own wants. Rolf is an overachiever, he is too busy looking for the next step to take him into his future, how to make the best of a career that has not even started yet." Cass smiled, put her arms around Luna's shoulders and then pulled her close. "But you, my Luna, you are happy for what you have right now. The things that matter to you are the things that are truly important in life, things that bring true happiness. Love, home and family.

"This is why I am relieved that he is gone. I knew he would hurt you one day, he has done it, you will heal from it, and then you can move on. Better now than after you were married, after you had children."

Luna nodded, a small sad smile on her face. Deep down, she knew all Cass was saying was true. Being with Rolf was a broken heart waiting to happen, it was better now than down the road, more time passed, when children might have been involved. It could have hurt much more than it did right now. But that meant little when she still loved him, when it broke her heart that he was gone - that all the dreams she had spent the last three years dreaming had just been taken from her. Then again, it was all the more reason to do as her aunt suggested, to go out and find new dreams - or to at least make a start.

"Now, I think you should put this pretty dress on, and go show the world that you do not give a damn about Rolf Scamander." Cass pulled the dress off the sofa and lay it in Luna's lap, the mask atop it. "You go out there and spit in his eye." She winked and stood, then went into the closet and pulled out a small box.

"I almost forgot, you will like these too. I think they will fit."

She pulled the box open, inside was a pair of delicate clear stiletto heeled shoes, the toe and sides etched with frosty curlicue designs and glittering crystals. Luna smiled and picked up the dress, box and mask. She was going to do this, she was going to go and she was going to show Rolf Scamander that he could not break her. She was going to move on.

"Thank you Aunt Cass," Luna kissed her cheek, then rose from the sofa and went into her room, laying the mask and shoes on her bed to stand in front of the mirror with the dress held out in front of her.

The bodice was shimmering black, with tiny straps that sat on the edge of the shoulder in a quarter inch of ruffled chiffon. Just under the breasts, the black tapered into a shirred cascade of peacock blue and green that matched the feathered mask.

Luna sighed appreciatively, remembering the first time she had seen the dress, just after her Aunt returned from a trip to China when she was thirteen. She had mooned over it, secretly longing that one day she might wear it. Now, that chance had come.

She dressed quickly, quite liking the effect, until she stood before the mirror again. Something was throwing it off, as if something was out of place. She had pulled her hair up into a messy riot of curls at the back of her head, leaving loose tendrils to fall down her back and around her face. As she reached up to twist one around her finger, she realized what it was. The dress and mask were fantastically dark and mysterious, it would be even more so when she was out in the night. Her hair was light blonde, more fitting for walking in a flowery meadow in the sunshine. With a small smile, she waved her wand over her head, turning her hair a deep, dark chestnut - the effect was dazzling against the blue green of the mask.

Now, she was ready. She could be who she wanted to be, do whatever she wanted to do - and no one would be the wiser.

* * *

George had known that the night was going to be slow, drawn out torture, but even he hadn't expected it to be this bad. The high point had come an hour in, with the announcement of the coming second store. After that, he tried to leave, to sneak off unnoticed, but Fred and Angelina had sharp eyes. They watched his every move, determined that they would not leave him alone.

Deep down, way deep down past the annoyance, he knew it was because they cared about him. They didn't want to see him sitting home alone moping over Alicia's latest defection. In an odd sort of way, he was getting used to it. He'd had twenty-four hours to deal with it, the worst of his anger was past. Now it was just a matter of getting the occasion over and done with so he could get back to life as normal. Tomorrow, Alicia would be back. She would be apologetic as usual, they would make up and then the next morning she and Angelina would be gone - off to do drills with the team for the week so they were ready to travel on Wednesday for their match next weekend. Funny, as much as he loved Quidditch, he had long since stopped keeping track of who they were playing match to match.

By this time tomorrow, everything would be fine again - until the next time. Therein lay the problem. Tomorrow, as part of Alicia's apologies, she would swear there would never be a next time - and George knew damned well there would be.

He may have been forced to stay, but he didn't have to participate. Instead, he sat at the bar, drinking his way through a bottle of expensive firewhiskey.

"George," Angelina gave him a look of deepest disgust "Aren't you even going to try?"

"You got me here didn't you?" He gave his cape a twitch "Got me into this ridiculous costume?"

"You look handsome, and mysterious."

"The shirt has ruffles. Girls wear ruffles."

"You're a matador, and I think you look sexy." She nodded over to a knot of girls "They do too."

He considered the group of giggling girls. It was true, they had been standing there half the night checking him out. But they looked to be barely out of Hogwarts, and if not for the fact that they were there at all, he would have thought them much younger. He was twenty-four years old; between the war, all that had happened leading up to it and the years since, it had turned him into an old twenty-four. Far beyond interest in a gaggle of giggling girls. Besides, he _was _still engaged.

"That's fine for them I suppose." He shrugged it off.

"Is he still moping?" Fred pushed his way through the crowd, his hands full of cotton candy. He kissed Angelina, and then handed her a cone of the bright pink confection.

"Thank you," She beamed up at him "And yes he is."

"Easy end for it," George turned back for the bar and downed another shot "Let me go home to bed."

"Not going to happen." Fred eyed the bottle that sat on the bar in front of them "And don't you think you should lay off a little?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't" He gave Fred a mischievous grin "If you're going to make me stay, I am at least going to get some sort of enjoyment out of it."

"You'll be enjoying it in the morning when you are running for a bottle of Mrs. Drandy's Hangover Potion." Angelina grinned "Foul stuff tastes like dragon pee."

George looked at her for a moment, considered the obvious come back, but refrained - what was the point when Fred would beat him to it?

"Drank a lot of dragon pee have you?" he grinned cheekily, wrapping his arm tight around her waist and pulling her back against his chest "Let me know next time so I can make sure you brush your teeth before I kiss you."

Angelina twisted her head and grinned back at him. "Of course I will, anything for you."

George rolled his eyes, sometimes being around the two was an invitation for sugar shock. He was saved by the changing beat of the music, a low samba that was both sultry and exhilarating at the same time. Fred grinned and took Angelina's hand to lead her out into the street where the assembled masses swayed to the music. He reached for the bottle, downed another shot - then deciding he had quite enjoyed it, chased it with another. He lifted his eyes again, searching out his brother, perhaps if they were occupied he could make a secret exit.

Instead, his eyes caught on a flash of blue at the edge of the mass. He followed it up the slim graceful figure, the full skirt of the dress a cascade of dark and light blue and green that swished captivatingly. His eyes raised further to the face of the woman, she wore a mask of matching feathers, the skin beneath pale but for her flushed cheeks and pink lips. Her hair was a mess of darkest brown, falling around her randomly in loose dark curls.

If not for the man next to her, George might have thought she was dancing alone. She swayed gently in time to the music, her arms raised above her head, like a gypsy, turning in slow, gradual circles. The man seemed confused by this, almost as if he were regretting having asked her in the first place. In a way he couldn't blame him, the woman seemed oblivious to his presence.

But he wasn't. He rose from his stool and skirted the bar to stand on the side closer to the street. He was captivated; struck by the way she moved and the look of peaceful serenity on her face. It had been so long since he had felt anything resembling peace and he didn't realize until just then just exactly how tightly he had become bound during the three years with Alicia. Not physically, but mentally. His emotions were tied to her, his actions, his feelings, his every single thing - all tied to Alicia Spinnett. That wasn't a good thing, not when you factored in the way she treated him.

The music ended and Fred and Angelina joined him once again.

"Look Angie, it moves." Fred grinned, elbowing George in the ribs

"Hey," George nodded towards the woman who had now leaned forward to speak in the mans ear. "Do you know her?"

"Hard to say with the mask on." Angelina looked closer "It could be anyone. She doesn't seem familiar."

"Something we should know?" Fred grinned. As much as he had always been friends with Alicia, he wouldn't mind if George moved on. He was tired of seeing his brother hurting. More so, he was tired of seeing Alicia not caring that his brother was hurting.

"No," George turned his attention away from the woman "I just thought I knew her from somewhere, that's all."

"Okaaay," Angelina looked at him weird, as if she was sure he was lying, which of course, he was. "I need a drink." She and Fred turned for the bar and George turned to follow them. A moment later, the man from the street came up on his other side and ordering a drink. He couldn't resist the urge.

"Hello," He said, attempting is best to seem causally polite. For all he knew, the woman could be the mans wife.

"Hello George," The man, who he now recognized as Terry Boot from Dumbledore's Army, smiled back at him. "Good news about the Hogsmeade shop. Well, maybe not for Filtch."

"No probably not." He worked up a grin, it was hard not to be pleased by anything that would annoy Argus Filtch. He glanced back out at the street where the music was just starting up again, the woman had begun dancing with someone else. It appeared the coast was clear.

"Terry," He nodded towards the street "Who was the woman you were dancing with?"

"Her?" He nodded towards the woman in peacock blue "I don't know. I was coming back from the bathroom and she was standing there, we just sort of started dancing. She's an odd one, seemed more interested in dancing by herself. She's alone though, if you're…"

"No," George shook his head "It's nothing like that." The last thing he needed was rumors getting around that he was chasing after some strange woman. "I just thought I recognized her from somewhere."

"Terry!" He turned as a group of people George vaguely recognized from Ravenclaw called out - none of them were the dancing girl. He looked out again, she had moved further into the street now, and was dancing alone. He was hit by an irresistible urge to dance with her, or at least by her. Almost as if she were a magnetic force, drawing him in. He stood and turned away from the bar again, crossing to the street, but as he did, she was on the move again. He pushed his way through the throng of people in the street, their bodies bumping and grinding to the hypnotic music. When he reached the other side, to the spot where she had been, she was gone.

He looked up and down the street, not a sign of her. He turned back to the dancing masses, nothing. He considered the temporary bathrooms for a moment, but all the signs said they were vacant. She had vanished without a trace.

But some good had come out of his useless hunt, he had managed to shake Fred and Angelina. On a deep sigh, he began the half block that would take him to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

* * *

The novelty of being incognito took all of thirty minutes to wear off. She had danced with several people who hadn't given her the time of day back at Hogwarts, all of which told her how lovely she was. Imagine that, 'Loony' Lovegood, lovely. She wondered if they would have been so highhanded with the complements if they had known who she was.

All she wanted now was to go home, take these torturous shoes off, and then take a long hot soak. What had she been thinking anyway, a sleeveless dress without a cloak? She'd spent half the night freezing to death. Rather than spitting in Rolf's eye, she'd ended up wishing for his warmth. He had always been the sort who would rather freeze to death than watch her shiver.

There was only one problem - she was being held prisoner.

The door to the portable toilet was hopelessly jammed, the shirred skirt of the dress had stuck in the door of the portable bathroom and now she seemed destined to spend eternity trapped within. It seemed the ideal ending for a perfectly lousy night.

"Let me out of here you stupid door!" she gave it a sound kick, then jumped back in surprise when it popped open.

There was no way she was going back into the madness. Instead, she turned down the sidewalk to go home, sighing at the garishness of the Weasley twins sidewalk display. It was nice for them that they were opening a second shop, they must certainly be pleased. She was looking forward to seeing Ginny when she would be home just before Christmas, she would be taking a leave from the Holyhead Harpies to plan her wedding - Luna had already been begged into being a part of.

"Where the fuck are you?"

A deep male voice hissed from somewhere up above. She glanced around wildly, wondering if he was addressing her. She looked up to her right and noticed a man up a flight of stairs, he was digging in his pockets and he seemed to have lost something.

"Do you need help with something?"

He didn't spare her a glance, but muttered instead. "I don't have my wand and I can't find my keys."

Luna knew the voice, she should have realized who it was, he _was _above the Weasley's shop after all. "I could help you. I have a wand."

George glanced down at the woman. It was _her_, the dancing girl. He didn't say a word, just nodded, and then watched while she slowly ascended, her feet looking as if they were floating inches above the stairs. She pulled out the wand, then handed it to him. He took it silently, his eyes still glued on her, bewitched. She began to shift nervously from foot to foot. Why was he staring at her like that?

"Alohamora," The lock popped open and he opened the door before handing back the wand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smiled before turning back for the stairs. "Goodnight."

"What's your hurry?," He asked, now that she was standing in front of him, he wasn't about to let her disappear again. "Come in for a drink."

Luna turned just in time to see him wobble as he attempted to step over the stoop, nearly landing him on his face. She reached out to steady him.

"I think you might have had enough to drink already." She smiled at him, flashing him a set of deep, alluring dimples.

"You have a drink then, I'll watch." He grinned roguishly while Luna helped him inside. He wrapped an arm around her waist, finding as he did that she smelled even better than she looked.

"I don't think so." She smiled and began to turn, but his other arm joined the first, his foot reaching out to close the door. He stumbled again, tossing them off balance and sending them careening into the wall of the entry, the room dark but for the light of the street lamps outside on the stair.

"You're the dancing girl."

"Dancing girl?" She said, knowing she should be afraid, or at the very least chagrined to find herself in this position.

"I saw you dancing before," He lifted her hand to rest on his shoulder, then ran his fingers over the skin of her wrist, brushing slowly up to her neck. "Peaceful and beautiful."

Luna's head exploded with the sensation of his fingers on her skin. It was like wizard crackers going off inside, bringing her wonderful surprises. And this wasn't just anyone, this was one of the Weasley twins. He thought she was beautiful. Then again, he only thought it because he was loaded, just like she was only still standing here because she was not feeling much pain herself.

"You don't mean that," She gasped when he moved close against her, pressing her back against the wall. Apparently he did, a hand brushed over her hip while the other was making a tingling circuit up her arm, to her neck and back - his mouth moving ever closer.

This was the line, Luna knew it. She also knew it was beyond insane. Five minutes ago, she was standing on the side walk, now she was in the arms of someone who was as good as a stranger. Sure, they had known each other their entire lives, Ginny Weasley was one of her best friends, but George had never spared her a glance. The best they had been was Dumbleodore's Army acquaintances - she thought he might have complimented her '_impedimenti_' once. And now - she was… but she wasn't, she couldn't!

His lips brushed against hers and she could taste the firewhiskey on his breath, it was a reminder that he was drunk, that he wasn't in his right mind. If he were, he would never want her. So why wasn't she pushing him away instead of letting him pull her closer, why was she just standing there, letting him rub suggestively against her?

She wanted him! She wanted this! In the back of her mind she heard Aunt Cass say once again -

'_You go out there and spit in his eye'_

What better way to spit in the eye of Rolf Scamander than sleeping with someone else - and what better person than George Weasley? He was handsome, successful and had always been wildly popular. Rolf would never know about it, but she would, it would be her own private revenge.

George pulled her closer, deepening the kiss and Luna sighed and gave up her last hope of resistance. She wasn't sure why he wanted this, but she was willing to go along. What could a one night stand hurt?

His lips broke from hers, over her chin, then down her neck to her shoulder. She lifted her leg to wrap around his thigh, inviting him in, pressing firmly against him. He welcomed her response, his hands slid down her body to lift her, pressing her backwards. She locked her feet together behind his back, letting her head fall back in a delicate arch when he pulled her away from the wall, turning for the bedroom to tumble with her onto the bed. Neither heard the thunk of her shoe hitting the floor.

He kissed her deeply while his hands slid into her hair, searching for the restraints that kept it from falling free. He found the silken ties for the mask first and it fell away from her face slightly, restrained from complete freedom by her still bound hair. She reached up for the black combs that held her hair in place and pulled them free, the ribbons of the mask catching and pulling away as well while his fingers loosened the knot of hair to fall free around them.

"So beautiful," He whispered against her ear, his eyes taking in the curled mass where it spilled over the pillows. He looked into her eyes for another moment, then his lips were on her again, her lips, her neck, then finally on her breasts as he eased the bodice of the peacock blue dress away to send it to lie next to her mask upon the floor.

His hands moved slowly over her body, a body so different from Alicia's. Alicia was lean and muscular, trim with planes and angles. This woman was rounded, with hallows and curves. Her breasts were fuller, the nipples sensitive to the tip of his tongue - he did not stop there.

She lay, her face all but buried in the dark chestnut hair, and he kissed her deeply as he slid inside of her. He wondered at his own restraint, even as a small part of him - his conscience he supposed - asked him what the bloody hell he was doing having sex with her in the first place. He quickly shut the door on that one and it closed willingly when her legs wrapped around him, her muscles tightening in response to his thrusts. Deeper and harder with each one, until he thought surely, he must be hurting her - yet she only asked for more. Over and over again, her sweet voice begged for more of him.

Compared to Alicia, who seemed to be wanting increasingly less, it made for a rather nice change.

She felt her body beginning to tense, the strange and amazing tightening that had always marked her orgasm. Yet, it had never been like this with Rolf. Rolf had always been obsessed with making it emotional, assuring that they were meeting one another's needs romantically. Ironically, having sex with him never seemed to be about having sex. It was proving that he loved her enough to have sex with her.

But this - what she was doing with George, was different somehow. She didn't know how exactly, only that it was. She felt the orgasm building long before it came, starting at the core and rippling out into every part of her body, fingers, toes, right down to the nerve endings.

His face was buried in her neck as she climaxed, but he was almost certain he saw a flash over her hair, dark to light, and then back again. He had no time to reflect on this because his own climax came - shaking him mind and body. He fell to his side, panting against her shoulder, a hand on a breast. A moment later, Luna looked over to find that he was sleeping.

She had barely caught her breath, and he was already sound asleep.

"It doesn't matter." She whispered to herself "It was just a grudge fuck."

Yet, she could not make herself leave, could not get up the desire to put her clothes back on and go back out into the night. She wanted to stay where she was. It was warm here, and cozy…she was not alone.

Luna knew that she would regret it in a few hours, but she curled up against George's chest, and quickly fell asleep.


	4. The Cold Light of Mourning

Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling. Original characters are the property of me and not to be used without permission.

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The Fractured Fairy Tale

Chapter Three

The Cold Light of Mourning

* * *

After a couple hours of fitful sleep, Luna finally gave herself up to the day as the sunrise took the room from pitch black to pink. A glance at the clock showed it to be just past seven and she wondered if George was a light sleeper, or an early riser. Neither of which would bode well for her plan to make a discreet and hasty departure. If he wanted to be man enough to come and hunt her down to ask her why she left, then more power on him. But she was not about to stick around and have him make hasty excuses for why they couldn't see each other again.

As quietly as possible, she slipped out of his arms, rolled to the other side of the bed and sat up next to the small table by the bed. Her head throbbed and she struggled to orient herself, locking her eyes on the first object that came to her through the hangover cloud. Sitting in the middle of the table next to the bed was a large framed photograph, George with a woman Luna recognized as Alicia Spinnett, they were holding Alicia's hand up for the camera - Alicia was wearing an engagement ring.

A sick, disgusted feeling began to press its way from her stomach to her throat and Luna pressed her hand firmly over her mouth while she whirled to her feet.

_He was engaged? _

She leaned against the wall, trying to calm herself. She hadn't know…she had only been back in Diagon Alley a couple months and she had only had minimal contact with Ginny over the last three years - and then they had better things to discuss than her brothers love life. Yes, she saw Fred and George every day, but they hardly had conversations about each others lives. She had only seen Alicia once or twice.

"It's not my fault" She whispered desperately. "I Didn't know!"

She looked at the bed again to George's sleeping face. How dare he look so handsome, so damned innocent in sleep!

"Damn it!" She spat, swiping up her dress from the floor.

She had just pulled it in place when she heard voices on the stairs, female voices. She tiptoed to the window the peak out, to her horror she saw Angelina arguing with - of all people - Alicia herself.

"Shit!" She groaned to herself, grabbing up her underclothing and stuffing it into her bag along with her mask and shoe, desperate to find the other. She tore at the blankets, the bed, and was about to go into the front room when she heard a key in the door. She closed the door and clicked the lock, looking about wildly, then went to the window again - she had no choice but to leave without it, better the shoe be found than her. Let George deal with the ramifications of his actions, she didn't need to be drug into his mess.

She glared at George for a second more, then quietly slid the window open and eased out onto the stairwell, turned and closed the window behind her in time to see Angelina disappear into the shop. She ducked under the sitting room windows, then tiptoed down the stairs to the safety of the sidewalk, ran down two doors and was inside the security of the Quibbler office before breaking into tears.

* * *

It was all starting to get a bit old. George's constant nagging, Angelina and Fred constantly in her face, Ginny's outright hostility. It wasn't as if she was purposely trying to hurt him. If she didn't care about his feelings, she would just outright ditch him. But that wasn't her style. Alicia Spinnett was a fighter, in for a penny, in for a pound her mum had always said, and it was a mantra she had always agreed with. You don't just ditch a good thing because it becomes difficult.

And yet, it was getting tiresome. It was bad enough that George had given her hell before she left two days before, but to come home and find Angelina laying in wait for her too? It was over the line - she would definitely be speaking to George about it.

She put her key in the lock, pushed the door open and was surprised to find that he had slept with his own closed. George was one of those opened door people, even the bathroom, which she found disgusting. Alicia looked around, dismayed at the typical homecoming mess she was treated to - often she thought he did it out of revenge because she'd had the nerve to go off on her own.

She bent down, scooping up the heavy black costume cape from the floor and tossed it over a chair. It was followed by a loud thump. Alicia looked down, prepared to see Georges big, clunky shoes. Instead, she found a clear, sparkly, woman's high heeled shoe.

The first thing he noticed upon waking was the scent on the sheets, the warm musky smell of sex heavy all around him. George opened his eyes and closed them again. The light was brutal, nearly as bad as the dry nasty taste in his mouth. The hangover taste. It hit him then that something was wrong, it was the smell. He shouldn't be smelling sex, Alicia had been gone the night before.

He rolled over, looking at the empty pillow and hoping fervently that perhaps she had returned in the night, maybe as the party in the streets was breaking up. It was all a blur now, but even as he hoped, he remembered. Graceful arms, soft pink lips, dark hair, a blue and green dress.

Holy shit - what had he done?

He sat up, looking around wildly for signs of the woman, instead, he found Alicia, sitting in the chair across the room. She wasn't happy, in fact, it looked as if he might have only narrowly escaped death.

"Alicia…" He sat up as she raised her arm and flung something at his head, it caught him just above the eye, a sharp edge cutting deep into his eyebrow. He felt the warm trickle of blood and reached up to wipe it away.

"You son of a bitch." She glared at him hatefully, her voice barely above a whisper, but no less threatening than if she were screaming. "How _could _you?"

He glanced down into his lap, finding a woman's shoe, the clear acrylic stiletto heel narrowed down into a sharp point. She could have used it to murder him in his sleep, in retrospect, he should be thankful he had only been caught above the eye with it. He rose from the bed, pulling a sheet with him and wrapping it around him.

"Alicia, I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. I was …"

"You…" She stood from the chair then went to the side of the bed, standing right in front of him "You're going to blame this on being drunk?"

He stared down at her, knowing he was about to do that very thing, even knowing how lame it was. What else could he do, it was the truth.

"It's the truth," He looked at her pleadingly, begging her to believe him. "Alicia, you know I would never do something like this if I were in my right mind."

"Do I?" She shoved him backwards so he landed on the bed "How many other times have there been George? How many others have you brought up here and while I was on the road?"

"Don't be ridiculous," He looked at her, chagrined that she could think he would do such a thing. "You know me better than that. It was just a … I don't know what it was. I was drunk, it was stupid, it didn't mean anything." He put his arms around her and she shoved him away.

"Ugh, get away. You stink like that bitch."

"I'll shower," He offered, going to his dresser for clean clothes. "Can we please talk, please?"

"What is there to talk about?" She turned away, going into the front room.

"Please?"

She glared at him, her eyes deeply hostile, then nodded. He watched her quietly for a minute, then went into the bathroom, turned the water as hot as he could stand it and waited for it to warm.

He pulled the sheet off and tossed it towards the hamper, a smell crossed his nose and he picked it up again. He had missed it before, but there was more than the scent of sex on the sheets, there was her smell. A sweet scent, almost like notes of innocence. He closed his eyes and tried to remember her, he was drawing an almost total blank. He saw dark hair across his pillows, her lips and the feathers of her mask. And her arms, thin graceful arms raised above her head as she danced.

There was nothing else, not the sound of her voice, a picture of her face, not even the memory of how they got from the street to his bed. No, he remembered something else as well, he remembered how good it was being with her, like it was a spiritual encounter rather than physical.

He shook himself, then stepped under the steaming hot shower. He needed to wash it all away, her scent, their scent, the few memories that remained. He was engaged to Alicia, if he had not destroyed everything, they were going to be married as soon as they could make a date work.

But why wait? Why not today? There were members of the lower chamber of the Winzengamot who performed civil weddings. They could be married before Alicia had to go back out on the road tomorrow. Yes, that was the way to go about it, why hadn't they thought of it before? It was their mothers who wanted the big wedding, not them, not really. His mother would be getting her wedding in January when Harry and Ginny got married, she really didn't need his as well. And Alicia had so many brothers and sisters her mother could make up for it with them.

Yes, this was the thing to do. They should have done it in the spring, when their first wedding had to be put off.

He washed quickly, barely toweling dry before he dressed and went out to face Alicia. But when he found her, she was in the bedroom, and she was packing her things.

"Alicia …" She stopped for a minute and looked over her shoulder. The glance scathing and hateful. "I thought you said we could talk."

"I thought so too George, but there is really nothing to talk about. You made your bed, now you need to sleep in it." She turned for the closet and smirked at him hatefully "Excuse the bad pun."

"Don't do this." He went to her side, pulled the hangers from her hands, and tried to pull her close. She was like ice in his arms. Hard and unyielding, bitterly cold. He knew he had it coming, he had done a terrible thing, and yet that little voice was speaking again. She was the one who had abandoned him over and over again. She was the one who kept putting off their wedding, who kept walking out on him time and time again. He forced the voice down. There was no way he could put the guilt for what he had done on her. No matter what she had done, he had no right to be unfaithful.

"We've come too far to just toss everything away, Don't walk out on me again, please."

"Again?" She pulled out of his embrace, like a spitting viper waiting for the right moment to strike, she raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face. "Go to hell you bastard!"

Now he was angry. He was willing to dismiss the shoe as an accident, but this was over the line. He had been raised by gentle parents, in twenty -four years he had never seen his mother raise a hand to his father, and he had certainly never seen his father raise a hand to his mother. People who loved one another often argued, he had seen it plenty with his parents, Ron and Hermione, and with Fred and Angelina, even Harry and Ginny argued. But never once, under any circumstances, had he seen one strike the other. When you loved, the last thing you wanted to do was harm the one you loved.

Alicia used cruel words, she had hit him, no matter what he had done, she had gone over the line. Would she have done that if she truly loved him? It seemed pretty easy to do.

"Yes, again." He spoke quietly, moving away from her out of the fear she would hit him again. "You have spent the last year walking out on me, every chance you got."

"This again." Alicia snorted sarcastically "Oh poor little Georgie, left home alone again."

'Belittle me all you want," He shrugged "Now that I think on it, you are just as much to blame for what happened as I am."

Alicia whirled on him, her face had gone bright red. "How dare you blame me!"

"I am willing to accept my culpability for what I did Alicia, it was horrible and stupid. But can you deny that it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been selfish and ran off on me again?"

He crossed his arms and leaned back against the door frame. For the first time he felt like he was seeing things clearly, like he was seeing the real Alicia Spinnett, not the girl she had been at Hogwarts - but the woman she had become. It wasn't a very nice sight.

"Last night was a huge night for me and Fred, the culmination of something we have been working toward for a long time. Was it really asking for that much for you to be here to share it with me?"

She glared at him indignantly, frustrated once again by his lack of understanding "How many times do I have to tell you…"

"Your career!" He yelled, inches in front of her face now. "Always your career! Where do I fit into the picture Alicia? When it is my turn to come in first? You should be happy I slept around, now you can leave and go about your life without me, you don't need to pretend anymore. I won't be holding you back!"

"Grateful?" Alicia shoved him backwards, zipped her bag and tossed it towards the doorway before turning back to glare at him hatefully "Grateful you fucked some whore in _our _bed, on sheets that we bought together, when I was wearing your engagement ring?" She reared her arm back, ready to let him have it again. George grabbed her wrist and held it tightly, his eyes glaring into hers.

"Don't even think about it." He spoke softly, his voice low and lethal. " I have put up with a lot from you over the past three years, but I will not allow you to hit me again. And don't speak that way about her, you don't even know her."

Alicia let loose a short, sarcastic bark of laughter. "Neither do you."

She pulled her arm free, then reached down and pulled off the diamond ring and lay it in his palm. A strange feeling came over her as she looked at the ring in his hand. A calmness, a peace. She was relieved to have it gone, as it _had been_ a yoke around her neck. They stared into one another's eyes for a long time, both filling with pain as the anger drained away.

He spoke at last "I know you don't believe me, but, I didn't do it to hurt you. It just happened."

She smiled sadly and nodded as she whispered "I know, you're not that sort of person." She reached up and touched his cheek gently, brushing over the red, inflamed outline of her hand. "I'm sorry I hit you."

He nodded "When was the last time you were happy with me?"

She shrugged and turned away to sit in the chair by the bed. "Last year maybe, before things started getting so crazy."

"When we had more time for each other." He agreed and sat on the side of the bed, he dropped the ring into the drawer of the table, then reached over for her hand.

"When did you stop loving me?" She asked, her eyes sad, yet accepting.

"I will always love you Alicia."

"As a friend," She smiled "I don't think we have loved each other _that way _for a long time. It was too easy for me to leave…"

Her admission brought on his own awareness.

"And my anger over your leaving…it wasn't because I was going to miss you." He gave her hand a tight squeeze and let it go

"I suppose we should just be glad we realized before we were married."

She stood then, bent over and kissed his forehead, just above the cut on his forehead. "I will always love you too George."

She walked to the door and picked up her bag, then she turned back and looked at him sadly. "I'll send someone for the rest."

"I'll pack it up and have it ready."

Alicia smiled sadly, then turned back for the door. "Good bye George. Good luck."

"You too."

He watched her go, then waited for the sound of the closing door before falling back on the bed. It was an oddly empty sound, Alicia leaving for the last time. He knew it should make him feel empty, like a part of him was missing. Instead he felt whole, even relieved. Still, he was melancholy, it was like losing a friend. He knew how it worked, they could never go back to how things had been before they were involved. Despite the amicable break up they had eventually come to, there was still pain and anger. He had plenty of harsh feelings, after what he had done, Alicia was sure to have plenty of her own. If the day was coming that they could be friends again, it was a long time away, far, far down the road.

He fell back on the bed, then shot up again when a sharp jab hit his spine. He twisted around, then dug in the blankets, coming up with the shoe that Alicia had tossed at his head. He fell back against the blankets again, the smell of sex strong in his nose again as he considered it.

Questions came as he watched the shoe sparkle in the sunlight. Who was she and where had she gone - why had she fled? Perhaps she was someone he knew; had she known he was engaged? Maybe she was an out of town relative of someone he knew, maybe she had seen the pictures of him and Alicia. They were right in the open, she would had to be blind to have missed them.

He turned the shoe over and over in his hand, watching the beams of sunlight reflect off the crystals to shine upon the wall in bright sparkles.

Where was she ... would he ever see her again?

* * *

The bright cream walls seemed to mock her while she passed, digging out her identification. Charlotte was off today, in her place was Flora, a rather stiff and less friendly sort. It figured, the morning Luna most needed a cheerful face, and all she was greeted with was a half hearted grunt of welcome.

Aunt Cass was still sleeping when Luna tiptoed back to their little flat. She wasn't surprised, they didn't open the office until noon on weekends and Cass liked to laze away her mornings in bed. It was quite easy then for Luna to go to her room, shower and change undetected, then sneak back out again. Aunt Cass might not even know she had been out all night, and if she did, likely she wouldn't say anything. Even if she did, Luna wasn't sure she would find anything particularly wrong with what she had done.

Aunt Cass was the open minded sort, and she had never been much for sticking her nose in her nieces private affairs.

Affair, there was an interesting choice of words for what she had done. Then again maybe not, a one nighter hardly qualified as an affair. A one nighter was cheap, and tawdry. Something only trashy girls did, particularly when the other person was engaged to someone else. She argued vehemently with her conscience while she walked the hall toward her fathers room. It was still early, visiting hours had only just begun, Flora had found her waiting when she opened the door. The ward was quiet, the residents who did not have visitors were still eating breakfast, some still asleep. She knew she should leave her father to his rest, he was getting weaker, only had a few months left. But she needed to be with him today, he was the only one who could make her feel okay, the only one who could take away her pain.

Hurting others was not something that came easily to Luna Lovegood, and intentional or not, she had hurt Alicia Spinnett. In the aftermath of being ditched by Rolf, she knew exactly how Alicia would feel if she found out what they had done, and given the fact that she had left a shoe behind it was sure she would find out. She may not find out who, but she would surely find out what.

"Carina…" Xenophilius smiled up at her, his hand outstretched. Luna shook herself and forced a smile, she had to pretend that everything was okay. Her father may not know her face, but he knew when she was upset.

"Hello Daddy." She crossed and took his hand, then knelt down on the floor by his chair. "How are you feeling today?"

"Very tired, very tired." He sighed with a wave of his hand. "That precious girl likes to keep us up late, doesn't she?"

"Yes," Luna looked away. "I imagine I did."

"It's worth it," He smiled and tightened his hand on hers "She will be the best of us Carina."

"What if she isn't?" Luna looked at him pleadingly, as if begging for forgiveness and the knowledge that it would be okay if she wasn't perfect. "What if she grows up and does bad things? What if she does things that hurt others?"

"Of course she won't." Xenophilius looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "Our Luna has the heart of an angel, she has your heart Carina. A heart that is pure and true."

Luna lay her cheek on his knee and turned her face away to hide her tears. It was like torture, hearing him speak of the future her with such reverence, comparing her to her mother who really was pure of heart. Carina was the one who was truly worthy of his praise.

"She's not who you think she is." She whispered, so softly that she knew he would not hear.

She thought of Alicia again, of the pain she might be suffering even now. Was she crying while he begged her for forgiveness?

"Carina, oh my dearest…" Xenophilius lifted her chin so she had to look into his pale silver eyes. The only thing she had inherited from her father. "Why are you so sad?"

Luna looked at him and said the only thing she could "I want you to be proud of me."

He laughed, a deep, rich laugh that reminded Luna of childhood games in the garden. When he would chase her and her mother around and the first he would catch would be kissed all over the face until they had laughed themselves out of breath. Then, the two would turn and chase down the last, until all three rolled on the grass, their arms twined together.

"I am proud of you darling, I could not be more proud. Look at all you have given me? I know our little Luna is proud of you as well." He patted her cheek, then gave it a little pinch "And when she grows, she will make us proud, you watch and see."

She looked away and nodded, then lay her cheek on his knee again, wondering what he would think if he was in his right mind. Could he still see his beloved Carina in a woman who slept with a man who belonged to someone else? A woman who had used him to spit in Rolf Scamander's eye?

She could try to fool herself all she wanted, but she knew her father. There was nothing more important than family to Xenophilius Lovegood, and knowing that his daughter was partially responsible for bringing a family apart would have made him anything but proud. He would have been ashamed of her.

Luna couldn't blame him. She was ashamed of herself as well.

* * *

"So, she just moved out? No reason?" Angelina stared at George incredulously while he threw Alicia's things into boxes. She had not been at all happy with the way she and Alicia had left things that morning - she demanded Alicia stop being selfish and start having some consideration for George's feelings, and Alicia told her to nose out. She had come for the final showdown, to have it out once and for all, only to find that the showdown was over, and Alicia was long gone.

"I don't believe you," Angelina looked at him critically "What did she do this time?"

"That's being a bit unfair don't you think?" Fred said from behind them where he was sorting out pictures, old family pictures from recent pictures, ones he knew George would want to keep, ones he knew George would not mind being rid of. Mostly any of Alicia, particularly ones of her in her Quidditch robes or on a broom. "George can be a right git when he wants to be."

"Fred's right," George nodded towards his brother, thinking again about the shoe that now lay hidden under the rug in his closet. "I can be."

"Look, I have to see Alicia tomorrow," Angelina gave him a warning look "You better not be sending me into a hornets nest. You know I can't keep my mouth shut, not when it comes to you, so if there is something I need to know, you better tell me. You know I don't like surprises."

George stopped for a minute, considering Angelina's words. She wasn't kidding when she said she couldn't keep her mouth shut, Alicia was in for an earful. But how much would Alicia tell Angelina? Would she be ashamed to have anyone know that he had cheated on her, or would she want to make him look bad and herself the injured party? It was a tough call. Alicia liked to look strong and tough, but there was a lot of mileage to be had from playing the woman wronged. Particularly with Angelina Johnson Weasley. She had once thought Fred was messing around and it had gotten quite ugly, even though he had long since proved it to be untrue, there was still this sensitive little part of her that was on edge over the idea.

"Okay, look. You two know how things were between us, neither of us were happy."

Angelina looked at him, her eyes narrowed "You screwed around!"

"I …" He looked at both of them, knowing it was all over his face; why bother to deny it? "Yeah."

Fred lifted his eyebrows, not sure whether to be affronted by his brothers behavior or impressed because he had finally grown a pair and stricken back at how horribly Alicia had treated him for months.

"It was that girl wasn't it? The fancy one with the peacock feathers." Angelina had her arms crossed over her chest, she, like Fred, looked like she couldn't decided whether to congratulate him or pummel him.

"I don't know," He shrugged and turned towards the closet. He pulled up the rug, and then turned around with the shoe. "I think so."

"You think?" Angelina pursed her lips, getting closer to pummeling now. "You don't remember?"

"I can't believe we share the same DNA." Fred tossed a picture of Alicia that he knew George would hate into the keep pile. He owed Alicia at least one dig for this.

"I was drunk, okay? I'm pretty sure she was too - from what I remember." He stood and showed off the shoe "She left this behind though, I am thinking she will come back for it eventually. It looks a bit fancy to just leave behind."

"And what will you do if she comes back?" Fred looked at his brother wish disgust, tossing a couple more pictures of Alicia in Quidditch robes in the keep pile. "Whisk her off into the sunset?"

"I don't know." George dropped the shoe and scooped up the pile of photographs, digging out the ones of Alicia and tossing them in the go box. "Stop that, Alicia is as much to blame for our break-up as I am, she even said so."

"But this girl…" Angelina had pulled out her wand, now she stood with her arms crossed over her chest, tapping the wand on her shoulder, scary looking baby blue flames puffing out the end. "You think it's okay to just use her to get back at Alicia?"

"It wasn't like that. And she didn't exactly say no."

"That you remember." Fred dropped the last of the photographs into Alicia's box and taped it closed. "You better hope mum doesn't catch wind of this."

"Would you two knock it off? Alicia was upset, but after we talked it out we realized it was for the best." He tossed the shoe back into the closet where it fell behind a pair of old boots. "We stopped loving one another a long time ago, we should have let go long before this, so maybe it was a good thing."

"For one of you." Angelina snorted. "Good Lord George, do you know what it is going to be like for me? I have to be on the road with her for the next few months! Ginny too!"

"Well, I am glad you're putting this is the proper perspective Angie." George picked up the picture of him and Alicia, he considered tossing it into the box, then he folded it and put it into a keeper box instead. He picked up the roll of tape and taped the last of Alicia's boxes closed, then minimized the stack and put them in a shoe box. Angelina would be taking them with her tomorrow when she left to meet up with the team.

"I know," Angelina sat down next to him on the sofa "But you have to admit, this is complicated."

"I know."

"Bloody hell George," Fred pulled a handful of butterbeer bottles from the fridge, then passed them out. "There is a woman walking around out there, someone you have been intimate with, and you have no idea who she is. Don't you think that it is just … hell, I don't know, wrong? Personally, I feel it is on so many levels I don't even know where to begin, and I am not even the one who did it. "

"I know, okay?" George sat back, covering his face with his hands. It did feel wrong, wrong on even more levels than Fred could imagine. The worst of it was, even though he remembered next to nothing about her, he felt his attraction to her lingering. He remembered being drawn to her from the moment he lay eyes on her. Even though he remembered almost nothing else. He remembered how it had felt to kiss her, to touch her, to make love to her. He knew that he had never felt anything like it before, he was also sure he would never feel anything like it again - not unless he somehow found her.

That seemed unlikely, he had so little to go on. A hazy memory of what she looked like, and that hidden by a mask. He remembered talking with her, but her voice was a blur. The memory of dark hair on his pillows and soft pink lips that had been wonderful to kiss. Her sweet lovely scent that lingered on his sheets, and a shoe. A tiny clear acrylic shoe, too tiny to fit most of the women in Diagon Alley.

"I think I want to find her." He admitted "Like I am _supposed_ to find her."

"You're going to find her," Fred sat up, looking at George like he was the worlds biggest idiot. "Using nothing but a shoe?"

He and Angelina looked at one another, and then they both broke out in laughter. George watched them laugh. He couldn't blame them, he would have laughed himself.


	5. Covered Tracks

Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

* * *

Want to give a shout out to Melandra - thanks for your support and reviews! It means a lot. :)

* * *

The Fractured Fairy Tale

Chapter Four

Covered Tracks

* * *

Luna didn't exactly tiptoe back into the flat after leaving her father, but neither did she announce her return at the top of her lungs. By the time she arrived, Cass was up and meandering around the kitchen in her robe, her usual morning cigarette - her only cigarette of the day - dangling from her thin fingers while she sipped her morning tea at the counter. She had given up the habit years before, yet for some reason, she had never been able to shake having just that one. Luna, though she despised smoking, put up with it. It was a small price to pay for having her dear Aunt by her side.

Cass watched Luna critically, and Luna regarded her warily, wondering how much she knew. It was not that she expected to be chastised. If anything, Cass would be pleased. It wasn't that she was fond of promiscuity, it was more along the lines of living a full life, of living and loving loud. Life was too short to live quietly. Luna wondered now just how much she would be able to keep quiet, Cass was far too perceptive.

"You're out and about early." She commented while Luna pulled the carton of Pumpkin juice from the fridge. "Off to see Xenophilius?"

"Yes," Luna smiled sadly and lifted a glass from the drain board. Dishes never seemed to make their way to the cupboard, Cass was not much for chores and Luna didn't see the point - they would just be pulled out again anyway.

"How is he today?"

"He seemed weaker. I'm not sure…" Emotion flicked across Luna's face, a emotions on display that she had never been able to hide from the older woman and as usual, Cass hated seeing it. Luna blamed herself for things that were not her fault - her mothers loss, the war, her fathers madness. Once again Cass was struck with the desire to shake her and force her to see sense. Sometimes things just happen, bad things happened, and no one was to blame.

"I don't think he will be with us much longer."

"Oh sweetheart," Cass stubbed out her cigarette and rushed to put her arms around Luna's shoulders, then rocked her gently side to side, her cheek on top of her head. "There is no telling how long he could hold on."

"I know," She left her head rest on Cass's shoulder and wrapped her arms around her, holding on tightly. "But I am starting to feel selfish."

"Selfish?" Cass pulled back to look closer at her niece. "How so?"

"Like maybe I should stop trying to hold onto him," She looked away as her eyes filled, her hands dropping into her lap. "Maybe I should tell him that it is okay for him to let go, so he can go to be with mum."

Cass wished more than anything that she could argue, but there was no hope for Xenophilius to recover, he would never, ever be the same and now his health was failing as well. She had made a promise to Carina that, if anything happened to her, she would see to it that Luna and Xenophilius were taken care of properly.

She had come home to care for Luna after the war, when it was clear that Xenophilius could no longer care for them. She had helped Luna find a proper place for him, then taken care of her interests so she could finish school at Hogwarts and then go on to University. Luna was through school now, she had come home to take her place, soon she wouldn't need her anymore. But now, she needed her most of all. Luna was about to face the toughest time since the war, her toughest choices, and it was Cass's place to guide her. To be by her side and help her through. But she could only hold her hand, the choice had to be Luna's, hers - and hers alone.

She pulled a chair around the table, then sat it close enough that their knees touched before pulling Luna's hands into her lap.

"I think that when the time comes, you will know in your heart that it is right. I also think, that you have been through enough, this is not the time to make such a difficult choice."

Luna looked up wildly, her eyes probing deeply into her aunts. How did she know? She had only been home ten minutes, there was no way…

Unless George had come looking for her! Had he been there; had he come to ask why she left?

"He was here?" She let go of Cass's hand, then raised it to her mouth "What did he want; what did you tell him?"

"Was who here?" Cass's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Oh crap," Luna realized her gaff immediately. She had just broken up with Rolf, of course that was what Cass had meant. She pulled her hands away and turned back to rest her elbows on the table, then buried her face in her hands. No way was she getting out of this now, no way in hell.

"Luna, tell me what is going on this instant."

"Do I have to?" She mumbled from between her fingers "Do I really have to?"

"Of course not." Cass sighed and sat back in her chair. She was not the type to force things, and if Luna didn't want to confess what was troubling her, she would not press the issue. "I had just, well, I thought that there was nothing we couldn't talk about. We have always been so open with each other."

It was true, there had never been anything that Luna hadn't been able to tell Cass. She had written to Cass often in the past. Every little achievement, every disappointment, every smile and every tear. So what made this different? If she was being honest, she had to admit that she was afraid Cass would be disappointed in her. Yes, Aunt Cass was open minded, she had a free spirit and loved freely. But she held Luna to a higher standard, she had high expectations for her. It had been one thing if she had just taken on a one night lover - it was quite another to sleep with a man who belonged to someone else.

"Sweetheart," Cass brushed her hand down Luna's hair, a finger now and then teasing a soft curl before moving on. "Nothing you can tell me will change how I feel about you. So, tell me what is troubling you."

Luna pulled her hands away from her face, sniffling back a tear. "No matter what? No matter how bad?"

"No matter." Cass reassured, patting Luna's cheek.

"I just…" She stopped and grit her teeth, her eyes drifting to the ceiling, her hands fisting tightly on the table "Aunt Cass, I did something so, amazingly, colossally, _unbelievably wrong_, you would never believe it."

"I find that hard to believe." Cass smiled, her eyes twinkling "You are an awfully smart girl to do something that bad."

"Well, I had rather a lot to drink, that helped a bit." Luna blushed and looked down at the table "Not that I dare blame that, I mean, I knew what I was doing. I was in control of myself. I could have said no."

A dawning of understanding began in Cass's eyes, come to think of it, she didn't remember hearing her niece come in the night before.

"Oh," She smiled knowingly "I think I understand. You were with a gentleman last night."

"Gentleman?" Luna huffed, "He is not a gentleman. He's a …a..Ugh, I can't even think of a bad enough word for him!"

"Surely it's not as bad as all that." She smiled, taking Luna's fist and shaking the fingers free. "Tell me, who was this ungentlemanly gentleman?"

She let her eyes drop to the table before answering, saying the name like a foul curse word.

"George Weasley."

Cass couldn't have been more surprised if Luna had said Merlin himself. She had had many encounters with both Fred and George Weasley, along with Fred's wife Angelina. They were some of the most generous people she had met since coming to Diagon Alley. The boys had taken turns cleaning off her sidewalk the past two winters, and they brought her business by advertising in the Quibbler, not to mention the deals they gave her on merchandise. As far as she was concerned, her niece could do far, far worse.

"George?" She shook her head "I think you must be confused, they are wonderful boys. Your mother and father were quite fond of them as well."

"Oh yes, they are just spectacular." Luna looked hateful "I wonder if George's fiancée still thinks so today?"

Cass had forgotten that George was engaged, but when she remembered, she remembered other things as well. Particularly that George and his fiancée had not seemed all that happy lately.

"He was engaged, I had forgotten. Alicia plays professional Quidditch, she was gone so much. I don't think either of them have been very happy together, maybe they have broken up."

"He has pictures of them all over the place." Well, he had one picture anyway. "That is hardly something someone does after breaking up."

"But did he tell you he was still engaged?" Cass looked at her, deeply chastising with her eyes. She had never been fond of conjecture or assumptions. Either something was, or it was not. She was a subscriber in the "to assume makes an ass of you and me" club. "Unless he tells you so to your face, you are working on assumption.

"Now, I can tell you, for a fact, that those two have not been happy for some time. She has postponed their wedding twice, she has been missing from many events that were important to the Weasley's business, and I might add, she was not even at his brothers wedding - this you saw with your own eyes if you think back on it."

It was true, she had been at Ron and Hermione's wedding, and she remembered speaking with Fred and Angelina briefly, and she remembered George being with them - and he was alone.

"What do you want me to do Aunt Cass? Am I supposed to go and demand answers? Just barge in there and say 'Are you engaged or not ?"

"Yes, that is exactly what you should do." Cass leaned in and gave Luna playful swipe on the nose with her finger "And while you are at it, you can ask him for my other shoe back."

Luna grinned sheepishly, her face buried in her hand "Noticed that did you?"

"Oh yes," Cass nodded with a small, impish grin. "I am very protective of my shoes. It is bad enough that you tore the skirt on my pretty dress. Consider yourself lucky that I will not ask how you did it."

She winked and left Luna sitting alone to wonder; would Cass believe her if she told her the bathroom door tore the dress?

* * *

The time was coming and he knew how much Fred was dreading it, tomorrow Angelina would be leaving and she wouldn't be back for two weeks. George was going to miss her too, but for purely selfish reasons. Angelina was closer than a sister, maybe even closer than Fred. He could tell her things, private things, things he couldn't tell Fred or Ginny. Like right now, if he could get her alone, he could tell her all about how weird he was feeling. And he was feeling pretty damn weird.

Things hadn't been right between he and Alicia for the past year and now that he was being honest with himself, he had known for quite a while that it was only a matter of time before things ended between them. He had felt it, when she 'postponed' the wedding in August, that it would be for the last time only because they would never reschedule. They had certainly made no effort to set another date, and oddly, no one had asked them about it either. Not even their parents. In hindsight, it seemed everyone knew things were over before them, even before it was official. Now, things were official, and instead of being sad, instead of feeling broken hearted - what he felt was _relieved_.

He also knew that he should feel guilty for what had happened the night before. But the guilt he had initially felt upon waking had gone away the moment the door closed behind Alicia. It had been replaced by something else, something indefinable, a strange sort of … curiosity, but yet again, it was something more.

The dancing girl had _touched_ him somehow. She had worked her way in, deep under his skin, and now he couldn't stop thinking about her - even though he remembered almost nothing about her. He had one clear picture though, her face as she danced alone in the crowd, her arms lifted above her head. She was peace and serenity. He remembered feeling drawn to her, like magnet to steel.

He wished he could remember more, the other memories were fainter, dark curling hair flowing over his pillows, kissing her, making love to her. Pale memories, like smoke in his grasp, and yet he felt like he desperately needed to grasp onto them - as if they were his only chance at happiness. Like she was.

A shoe, it was all he had to go by. A tiny woman's clear acrylic shoe, so small that few women would be able to wear it. It's small size was the only thing working in his favor.

"George," Angelina stopped and touched his hand where it lay on the counter. "Are you sure you don't want to come over for dinner tonight?"

"No," he worked up a smile, forcing off the urge to accept the invitation. It wouldn't be fair, she and Fred needed to have this night alone together. It would be their last for a while. "You don't need your annoying brother-in-law underfoot."

"You are not annoying," Fred closed the door of the back room behind him as he entered, giving George a look of utmost frustration. George lifted an eyebrow and Fred grinned in response. "Okay, you are a little annoying, and now you've turned into a male whore, but…"

"Fred!" Angelina shot her husband a filthy look, yet she was trying to hide a grin. Fred hadn't let George forget his indiscretion from the night before for a minute. "Really!"

"Well, he is!"

George rolled his eyes and moved away from the counter, resisting the urge to slap his brother, but only because he thought the comments were earned. He had behaved horribly the night before, he had not been a gentleman, and chances were even if he found the woman, she might not want anything to do with him. She hadn't exactly stuck around for breakfast.

"Thanks for not rubbing it in Fred," George gave him a half-hearted glare - just for the principle of the thing, before disappearing into the backroom.

"Fred," Angelina shook her head at him "He feels bad enough as it is without you rubbing it in."

Fred opened his mouth to respond when a jingling above the door alerted them to entrance of a young woman. Luna stood staring at Fred, her tongue seemed to have swollen to ten times it's normal size since leaving the Quibbler office just moments before. She had steeled herself, stiffened her spine. She had, after all, done nothing wrong. George was the one who had slept with her knowing he was engaged. But when the face broke into an easy smile, Luna realized she was facing the wrong Weasley twin.

"Hello Fred," She forced a smile, wrong twin or not, the resemblance was startling. Besides, who knew how much his brother had told him by now? "Hello Angelina."

"Hey Luna," Fred's smile was impossible to resist and it put Luna at ease. Perhaps George had shown some discretion after all. "Can I help you with something?"

"All of the Halloween stuff is seventy five percent off." Angelina nodded toward a wall filled with silly masks and popping lights. It was dazzling, too dazzling, it made her feel a bit dizzy.

"Take your pick," Fred winked "An extra ten percent off for any member of Dumbledore's Army"

"You bet," Angelina grinned

"Oh, thanks." Luna smiled, warmed their overt friendliness. "but I didn't come for…"

The door to the backroom opened again and George shuffled out, a large box in his hands.

"Okay Fred, I put them up," He handed him the box marked _'Halloween decorations' _, "Now you get to take them down."

"In a minute," Fred waved him off, shoving the box back into his arms "Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"Oh, Sorry." George looked around blankly, his eyes falling on Luna for a moment before moving on. He didn't seem as if he were living on the same Earthly plane as the human race at the moment. "Hi Lana."

"George!" Angelina slapped him hard on the shoulder and he looked at her for a minute, his eyes dazed, then he shook himself and turned back to Luna.

"Oh hell" He looked mildly embarrassed at having called her by the wrong name and he shook himself and smiled. "I'm sorry, Luna. How are you?"

"I'm fine," She lied, feeling like her insides were about to quake apart. He didn't remember, she could have been just any one!

"You will have to excuse him Luna," Fred gave his brother a look of disgust "He's not himself today, he made a right arse out of himself last night and now he is feeling out of sorts."

"It's okay," She forced a fake smile into place, looking about wildly for something to buy, something that would give her an excuse to leave without revealing her true reason for being there. "I only came by to ask if you might like to purchase a full paged advertisement for the Christmas issue of the Quibbler. My aunt says you have been regular customers, so she thought I should offer it to you first."

"Can we get back to you?" Fred shoved the box off the counter and pulled a sheet of paper from a drawer. " When do you need to know by?"

"Oh, no big hurry." Particularly since the Christmas issue was already full. If they had to reset it, Aunt Cass was going to kill her. "Well, have a nice weekend."

She turned from the counter, then practically ran from the shop, leaving Fred and Angelina to stare at her back in confusion. George was oblivious.

"George Weasley," Angelina stomped her foot "That was the meanest thing I have ever seen in my life."

"Cold really." Fred stared at his brother is vast disapproval. "We have known the girl her whole life."

"And her a part of Dumbledore's Army." Angelina glared "She helped save Harry and Ron's life too."

"Not to mention fought and almost died with them in the Department of Mysteries. She's Ginny's best friend."

"Luna, George!" Angelina slapped him on he back of the head "Her name is Luna!"

"Alright already, and I know her name thank you!" George exploded "What do you want from me? I said I was sorry! I didn't mean to call her Lana, my mind was … somewhere else."

"On _her_ was it?" Fred asked sarcastically

The blush on his cheeks told them all they needed to know. The dancing girl was fast becoming an obsession.

"Have you considered George," Angelina leaned closer "That maybe Luna was the girl, and maybe she came in just now to see if you remembered?"

"Luna?" George's head shot up, then looked around wildly, as if maybe if he looked around hard enough, the dancing girl would appear from no where. "No, it can't be Luna."

"Why not?" Fred asked

"I would know if it were Luna." George shrugged "Like you said, we have known her her entire life, since we were little kids."

"And yet you can't remember the girls name?" Fred shook his head "Really George?"

"People change when they grow up," Angelina shrugged "And Luna has been gone a long time at University. Besides, she was wearing a costume."

"But why wouldn't she just say it was her?" George pushed past them to the window to look out at where the booths had been set up the night before. If he was looking for answers there, he was not going to find them, even the bar he had sat at all night was gone. "Why be so secretive?"

"I don't know," Fred gave him an annoyed look "Why don't you go ask Lana."

George cringed. What they were saying made sense. Luna was a small girl. No, she wasn't a girl anymore. She had grown up during her years away at school. She was a woman now, an attractive woman and she did physically fit the description of the dancing girl. But for one thing…

"No," he shook his head "The girl I was with had dark hair, Luna is a blonde."

"George," Angelina stomped over to the counter and picked up her wand. "Are you really so dense?"

She waved it over her head and Angelina's long, Micro-braided hair vanished, in it's place was long curly hair so light it was nearly the color of moonlight - like Luna's.

"She is a witch, or had you forgotten?"

George stepped back, his eyes huge. If Angelina was right, and Luna was the dancing girl, he had just screwed up.

"Oh crap," What if it was her? Wouldn't he remember though, shouldn't he? But it had been dark, he had had so much to drink - so much of it was fuzzy. Most of his memories revolved around feelings rather than fact.

He had to go to see Luna - he had to at least give her a sincere apology instead of the offhand _oh-sorry _shit had had given her before.

Just in case.

* * *

It felt as if the weight of the world had fallen down on her and crashed. _Lana_ - he had called her _Lana_. So much for making an impression on him, he didn't even remember.

She dragged her way down to the Quibbler office, praying the whole way that Fred would not take them up on the offer for the full page Christmas advertisement. Aunt Cass would kill her if they did, they had had those pages set for weeks and ready to print. She had frozen under pressure. Now, she supposed, she would have to deal with the consequences. That and she owed her Aunt a pair of shoes from Brazil - there was no way in hell she was going to ask for the other shoe back, so short of breaking and entering, it looked like she would be taking a trip soon.

"Aunt Cass!" She called out, stepping into the cozy warmth of the business section of the office. It was a rather chilly afternoon, in more ways than one, she found it comforting. "In the future, if you have any more brilliant idea's I would appreciate it if…"

She froze, for the person who walked out of the main office was not her Aunt Cassiopeia.

"Rolf!" She exclaimed, her hand going to her neck. Wasn't he supposed to be half way to the Ukraine by now? Facing him was worse than facing anything else she had faced that day, maybe even worse than facing her father. What if he was there because he had had a change of heart? What if he wanted to reconcile? She couldn't, could she? After what had happened the night before? She felt as if she had cheated on him.

"Rolf, what are you doing here?"

He smiled at her warmly, mistaking her panic for surprise.

"Well, I had my bags packed and was boarding the train when I realized that I couldn't leave things between us the way we left them the other day." He bent down and kissed her forehead, his hands rubbing softly up and down her arms. "You mean too much to me Luna, I am hoping we can still be friends."

Had it been any other day, she might have shown him the door. Rolf had broken her heart, but how could she dare condemn him for it now when she had broken someone else's? Besides, she could really use a friend.

"I think I would like that too."

She lay her cheek on his shoulder and he put his arms tightly around her, pulling her in close. It was odd, once Luna would have said this was her favorite place to be, but now it all felt … rather sterile. It was like they were going through the motions of what society demanded. Was this what Aunt Cass meant by being perfect for one another on paper, but not in reality? She began to pull away, but from the corner of her eye she saw George Weasley at the door.

What if she had accidentally tipped him off? What if he didn't remember, but now suspected because she had gone to the shop? Maybe he had come to ask questions, just to put his mind at ease. It must be disturbing, knowing that you had _been with _someone but had no idea who it was. What if he had come to find out if _Lana_ was the one? Well, if that was the case, he could keep on wondering for all eternity, because if he found out, it would not be because of her.

"Rolf, I am about to do something shocking, and if you truly care about me as you say you do, you will play along."

Then she pulled his face to hers and kissed him passionately, even as she heard the bells over the door that told her George had just walked in, even as she heard him tap the bell at the counter, it wasn't until she heard him clear his throat that she finally let Rolf pull away, though he had been struggling slightly, if not noticeably, the whole time.

"Oh, Hello," She barely resisted the urge to call him by the wrong name out of revenge. But she was not going to lower herself to his level. "Can I help you with something?" _John _

George stood on the other side of the counter, looking slightly stunned. Obviously Fred and Angelina had been mistaken in their prediction that Luna Lovegood was the dancing girl, but now he was stuck for a reason for having come into the office. He went with the easiest one.

"Yes," Despite her actions, he felt an odd familiarity as he looked at her. Then again, as had been pointed out to him several times today, they had known each other their entire lives. Of course she was familiar. "Fred and I decided to take you up on the full page Christmas advertisement."

"Oh," Luna stared back for a minute, what had she been expecting him to say? That he had seen through her ruse? That he had come to declare undying love for her - maybe that he had come to return Aunt Cass's shoe?

"Let me get the form." She blinked up at Rolf, he didn't look happy with her, she was going to have to deal with a few consequences before this was all over. Rolf didn't like surprises and he didn't like playing games.

She went to a drawer at the counter and dug around, finally coming up with a thick pad of order forms. Aunt Cass was going to kill her, but there was no way around it now.

"Luna," He reached out and touched her hand as she began to write "I'm really sorry about before."

She pulled her hand away as if his fingers had been fire, feigning the need for ink. "Before?"

"Yes, the whole Lana thing." He blushed slightly, an endearing blush that Luna forced herself to ignore. "Of course I know your name. I have just been kind of distracted today."

"No big deal," She lied, willing the quill to move faster over the order pad. "I have been called worse."

"Yeah, me too." He grinned wryly "Just this morning in fact."

She jumped, then took several deep breaths to calm herself as she stared at the pad. What did he mean by this morning? Had it really been that bad?

"This morning?" She turned the pad, referencing several scripts and font sizes for him to select, then directed him to the next line with the choice of several graphics.

"Yeah," He wiggled his head side to side. "Alicia and I broke up this morning, it was not very nice - to put it mildly."

It was just a tiny finger twitch, but Luna was afraid that it gave her away. So, they _had_ broken up - because of her? Or was it like Aunt Cass had said, because they hadn't been happy for a long time. Even so, it wasn't easy knowing that you were the final straw on the donkey's back.

"I'm sorry to hear that." She said softly

"Shit happens right?" He shrugged, a motion that Luna found irritating. How could he be so blasé about the whole thing? He had planned to marry her, obviously he must have loved her, you didn't just hand out engagement rings on a whim. His gesture struck her as cold and uncaring. What kind of person was he anyway? Oh, yes - George Weasley was the kind of man who got drunk, cheated on his fiancée and then didn't even remember the person that he had been with the night before. THAT was the kind of person he was.

"I guess it does." She said coolly, "Sign on the bottom."

George looked up in surprise at her tone, then he glanced over at Rolf where he still stood off to the side. Obviously he had interrupted something, maybe his delayed departure was annoying her, the last thing happy people wanted to hear were the sob stories of the depressed. He signed the form and Luna slid it from under the quill, pulled it apart, handing him the bottom pink part.

She glanced up at him, her silver eyes frosty. "I'll send the mock up of the ad over once it is finished for your approval."

"Okay," He tried a smile, one he felt failed badly. Her sudden coldness had thrown him off, so much so that he wondered if he had somehow offended her. Was she still angry because he had called her Lana? It didn't seem like the Luna he remembered, she was always so calm and accepting, even when others had called her names. Once again he considered that she might be the dancing girl, what if she was angry that he had not remembered? Then, he thought about the way she and the man had held one another, their kiss. There was no way she was his mystery woman, not if she could kiss another like that just a few hours later.

"Well, I guess I am off then." He turned away, then pushed his way out the door back out onto the cobblestone sidewalk. Luna grit her teeth as she watched him walk away, biting back the stream of obscenities that were dying to escape her pursed lips. She had nearly forgotten Rolf was behind her until he touched her elbow.

"So, do I get my explanation now?"

She turned to him nervously, a blush high on her cheekbones. She couldn't believe that she had used him like that, and after he had been so sweet in coming to see her to put things right before he left.

"I'm so sorry Rolf," She reached down for his hands, then pulled him over to her desk before sinking down into a chair "I am afraid you walked into a … well hell, a bastard of a mess today."

"I hadn't noticed." She looked up to see him grinning sarcastically "You know, if you had kissed me like that when we were still together, we never would have gotten out of bed."

Luna smiled and took a half hearted swipe at him. "Very funny."

Rolf knelt down in front of her, her hands clenched tightly in his. "What's going on Luna, I know that look and I know what I see, I am not liking either of them."

How could she tell him? He had come to her to put things right so they could be friends, he was being so sweet and kind, still caring about her. How could she tell him that she had slept with someone else to get revenge? It would hurt him, despite the differences she was just beginning to face, she still believed that Rolf truly cared about her. She could not hurt him, she would not. A half truth would have to do, better to just look like a tramp, than to look like a spiteful one.

"I did something … really, really stupid Rolf." She sighed and leaned back in her chair, her hands gripped tight in his. "I got drunk last night and …" she couldn't say the words, not to him. Not when he was looking at her with such kindness and compassion - even a trace of the old devotion was still there.

"With him?" He nodded towards the door, his jaw tightly clenched. Was that jealousy in his eyes? Perhaps, but it didn't mean anything, not really. They had just broken things off, of course residual feelings would linger.

"Yes." She whispered

Rolf looked deeply confused "He acted like you were just acquaintances, like it was nothing…"

Luna smiled wryly. "I suppose that is because that is all we are to him. I wasn't the only one who was drunk," Rolf looked at her, his head shaking side to side slightly while he tried to ration this all out. None of this sounded like the Luna he knew. Little by little it clicked into place.

"He doesn't remember,"

Luna shook her head "No, he doesn't."

He realized then why she had kissed him. "And you don't want him to remember,"

"Right again." Rolf pulled away to pace, his arms crossed over his chest. He seemed like he was stuck somewhere between anger and befuddlement. Like he badly wanted to shake someone, but could not decide if it should be her, George Weasley - or maybe both. The notion of both seemed to be winning out.

"May I ask why?" He leaned back against Cass's desk, his arms spread, his hands palm up, emphasizing his question.

"You heard him, did you miss the part where he said he and Alicia just broke up this morning?" She looked almost angry, but not at Rolf. "They were engaged Rolf, and he slept with me, knowing that he was engaged. I don't care how drunk you are, that is not something you just forget."

She looked back up at him, trying desperately to ignore the oh-so obvious look he was giving her. The look of censure that reminded her that George had not acted alone. She hated that look. Hated it mostly because she knew how true it was.

"I know it was my fault too," She said preemptively. "But in all fairness, I didn't know he was engaged. I haven't exactly been active in the social scene since I left school, you can't expect me to know everything about everyone."

"I never said you could." His face relaxed. It was so like Luna, she had always been passionate, filled with a certain gentle fire. At times it seemed to burn nearly out of control. She always managed to keep the flames within the grasps of her restraint. She seldom went off, she never lost control, but today was the closest he had ever seen her come to it. This was only the beginning, surely this wouldn't be her only test if she stayed here.

"You have decided not to go to Africa, haven't you?"

She looked at him warily and then nodded her head. "How can I leave my father when no one knows how much time he has left?"

"Promise me then that you will tread carefully with this situation?" He skirted around the desk and lifted her face to his. "I don't want to see you hurt worse than you already are by it."

"How can I be hurt more?" She was full of doubt, even her eyes were clouded with it. "It is over, it never happened."

"If only it were so easy to make the past go away." Rolf smiled at her sadly and let her face go before picking his coat up from the top of her desk and sliding into it. "You're a big girl Luna, you know that there are things that can't be undone."

She knew it, as unfair as it was, she knew it. There was every chance this whole thing could get worse before it got better. It could, in fact, get a whole lot worse. Knowing her track record, it probably would.

"I know." She said softly, turning her cheek up when he knelt to brush his lips over it. He took her hand in his and pressed a bit of tissue into it.

"If you need me, you know where to find me."

She nodded and then watched him walk out the door.

"I needed you here." She whispered as she watched his back fade into a group of shoppers. When he was gone, she opened her hand and let the tissue fall open. Inside was the signet ring. She smiled a little, then sighed softly and slid it into her pocket.


	6. Glimpse of Truth

Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

* * *

)(

* * *

The Fractured Fairy Tale

Chapter Five

Glimpse of Truth

* * *

Winter had come to Diagon Alley and it seemed determined to bring record snowfalls. Already, by the last week of November, there was a pile of snow that half covered the window of Weasley's Wizards Wheezes. Inside the shop, where Fred and George had begun decorating for the holiday, there was an air of seasonal cheer. For one of the two anyway.

Angelina was due home that afternoon and Fred was zipping around in high spirits while he slung baubles from one end of the shop to the next. George tagged along behind him, correcting him in spots where he had been exuberant to excess and righting more than a few wrongs that had been committed in his haste. As happy as he was that Angelina was coming home, George couldn't catch the spirit himself.

He had fallen into a state of melancholy, brought on in part by his break up with Alicia, the news that she was already dating a member of the Bulgarian Quidditch team, and his inability to make headway in tracking down the woman he forever thought of as 'The Dancing Girl'. He cursed himself for having been so stupid, for having been too drunk to have paid closer attention to what was under the mask. Why hadn't he at least asked her name?

With Angelina gone, Fred had taken to spending most of his time with George. Half the time he did not even bother to go home to their little house in the country a few miles from their parents house in Ottery St. Catchpole. George was thankful for the distraction, yet it didn't stop him from laying awake at night, staring at her shoe while he lay in the moon light trying to remember some thing that he might have forgotten.

The tone of her voice, perhaps the cadence, or the way she had said his name. He wasn't sure if she had even _known _his name. People came from all over for the Diagon Alley Halloween Festival, merchants families came in for the evening, people brought out of town friends. But no matter how hard he thought, nothing new came. The things he did remember _had _become stronger.

He remembered that she had been wearing pink pearlescent nail polish on her fingers and toes, and that her hair had felt like satin against his calloused fingers. He'd remembered something else too - a strange flash when she cried out in pleasure, something that made him think that Angelina's theory about her having changed her hair color was not just possible, but likely. Maybe her magic had slipped with her concentration, maybe she had lost her focus. Should he broaden his search, start looking at all women with long curly hair? But by that theory, it was not just the color she could have changed. Angelina had changed her length, the style and the texture. What if she had changed everything about her appearance? It had been Halloween after all.

And so it was, as the holidays approached, that a deep melancholy had set in. Not only hadn't he found the dancing girl, but he was facing spending the holiday with his family who surely would hit him with a thousand questions about his break up with Alicia. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't blame it all on her. He also wondered just how much she had told Ginny. No angry owls had come yet, but he wasn't ruling anything out. Ginny had always been fond of Alicia, she was not likely to take his indiscretion lightly if Alicia had spilled the whole thing.

"Hey," Fred smacked him hard on the shoulder, hard enough that he nearly fell off the ladder he was standing on. "Are you paying attention?"

"What?" George turned to him with the blank stare that had become so familiar of late. Fred smirked, knowing where his brothers mind was, upstairs in his bedroom - with the tiny clear acrylic shoe.

"I might as well be doing this myself." Fred began down the ladder. "Instead, I think I will wait for my wife."

George considered arguing, then conceded - if only to himself - that it might just be safer. His mind was not where it needed to be.

"Do you think you can help me with the windows outside sleeping beauty?"

George picked up the heavy box of lights, then shoved his way past Fred who gave him a disgusted look before going to the store room for their cloaks. These days, his brother would run about naked if Fred didn't remind him to put his trousers on.

By the time he reached the sidewalk, George had already started hammering nails into the boards above the windows. Fred turned, looking down the street in the hopes that Angelina might be coming towards them - no such luck. But he did see something else, something that was almost as charming.

"Hey George," He elbowed his brother, directing his attention down the block "Look who it is."

Two doors down, Luna Lovegood stood on her tiptoes stringing a garland of holly to the overhang in front of the Quibbler office. She was quite short and she struggled to reach, even though her boots had high heels. Her arms stretched high up over her head and she turned in circles, twisting the wires around the nails that she had already pounded into the wood. It had been snowing all afternoon and it appeared she had been out there for some time, a fair amount of snow had gathered on her clothes and in the curls in her hair. George was reminded of the forest nymphs in the stories that his mother would tell them at Christmas, Nymphs who brought good magic, happiness and luck.

But the arms in the air, and the twirling - it reminded George of something else - reminded him of _someone_ else.

It was impossible, Luna was involved with someone, she had been for a long time. Three years. He had done some checking after seeing them together a few weeks before. As beautiful as she looked in the snow, Luna Lovegood was not the dancing girl.

"Would you like some help?" He heard Fred say, breaking his reverie. He looked away from Luna's face to see that Fred had sauntered down to her side, a cheeky smile on his face that was filled with holiday cheer. Not about to be bested, and feeling as though he still owed Luna for the whole embarrassing Lana thing, he pasted on a smile of his own and went to join them.

Luna turned to smile at Fred, but when she saw George was with him, her smile froze before slipping quickly away. George was caught off guard and he wondered if he had imagined the momentary look of disgust in her eyes as they passed over him before going back to Fred.

"It is sweet of you to offer Fred." She dimpled at him "Thank you. I am afraid this isn't a task that is appropriate for people such as myself."

"You mean short people?" Fred grinned, taking the garland of Holly from her hands and tying it up easily on the next nail.

"That's exactly what I mean." She giggled a little, determined to ignore George's presence. Suddenly, he was equally as determined to make his presence known.

"I have been wondering when you would bring the full page advertisement over for us to approve." he said, "Christmas is only a couple weeks away."

"Oh," Luna looked at him sheepishly. The advertisement had been sitting on her desk for two weeks. Cass had a fit abut having to reset everything, and they had to work a lot of sizing magic to make it work. Once it was ready, she had demanded that Luna be the one to take it for approval, since it had been she who had offered the ad.

"It's ready for you to look at, I can bring it over later…" She attempted to hedge, George was having none of that. He was not particularly fond of being treated like a leper.

"Why wait," He flashed his most charming smile, a fake one. "I'm here already."

"Of course," Luna said, feeling as if she had just been sentenced to sit in front of a firing squad. Truth be told, she would rather the firing squad than be alone with him. "When Fred finishes…"

George had already pulled the door open and was waiting for her to enter. She swallowed deeply, forced the fake smile in place again and stepped through the open doorway, careful to avoid any contact as she brushed past him. Fred lifted his eyebrows in question and George shrugged in response.

"It's over here," Luna said, walking behind the counter to her desk where she pulled it from her outbox, and then walked back to the counter and handed it to him.

George was deeply impressed. They had been paying for advertising in the Quibbler since Cassiopeia had opened the office in Diagon Alley after the war, but this was the first time they had bought space since Luna had taken an active part in running the magazine. The difference was night and day. Instead of using the standard graphics, Luna had done the art herself and there was heart and soul in the artwork, a personal touch that made it scream off the page. A family sat together in front of a fireplace, their faces beatific while they played together with Weasley products, basking in their love for one another.

"Luna," He said softly, unable to take his eyes off the mock up he held. "This is amazing."

She was caught off guard by his praise, the work was nothing special, just an hour or so of doodling. Perhaps he had picked up on her coldness and attributed it to his Lana mistake and was now trying to earn brownie points.

"Thank you," she said stiffly "If it meets with your approval, just sign at the bottom, we will run it in the December first issue."

George stared into her frost filled eyes, dismayed and at a loss for what he had done to deserve it. Yes, he had called her by the wrong name, but it certainly wasn't reason for _this_.

"Luna, did I offend you in some way?" He asked, his temper stirring a little under the surface. He was all for being held accountable when he had done something wrong, but as far as he knew, he had never done a thing to Luna, not anything deserving of this coldness. Not unless…

No, that was impossible. He had already ruled her out. She was quite obviously in love with someone else, and Luna didn't seem the type to cheat.

"No," She shook herself, forcing the fake smile back into place and preparing herself for the lie she was about to give. Lying had never sat well with her. "I … I'm just tired, that's all. It's been a long day."

George looked like he didn't believe her, but if he had done something to upset her, he wasn't going to hear it from her.

"Alright then," He smiled and bent down to sign the form for the advertisement. "This really is wonderful work Luna, seriously, I love it, Fred will too."

"Thank you." She worked up the fake smile again while she tore the sheet apart and gave him the top half before turning back for her desk. "Tell Fred I said thank you for the decorating assistance. He saved my life, or at least my toes."

"I will," He looked at her for a moment before turning towards the door, wondering at the change in her expression when she spoke of Fred. She was more friendly looking, the stiff icy look had left her eyes.

What was it about him that Luna seemed to dislike so much?

* * *

Luna watched his retreating back, trying to force back the anger. Once again, her conscience was screaming at her. George was not solely to blame for what happened on Halloween night, she was just as guilty as he was, so why was she being so mean to him?

"You know Luna," Cass's voice came from behind her without warning, making her jump. "I have to admit, I am a bit disappointed in you."

"Take a number." Luna looked at her warily before tucking the order form into the orders complete box on her desk and sitting heavily in her chair. She sighed wearily, this was not the way she was raised, she had never felt this way before. This anger and hostility. "I don't understand Aunt Cass, what's wrong with me?"

"I don't know." Cass shrugged and pulled her chair from behind her own desk to sit in front of Luna. "I think you need to figure it out though, don't you?"

"Every time I see him, I think of her, of how much what we did must have hurt her. It makes me so … so angry, to think that anyone could knowingly do that to another person."

"You know Luna, if what the Daily Prophet says is true, Alicia Spinnett is hardly suffering for her break up. It rather looks as if she is enjoying it."

"I know it does," Luna raised her head, an odd sort of chagrin coursing through her as she thought about the news articles she had been reading in relation to Alicia Spinnett. Within a week of their break up, she had already been photographed kissing a member of the Bulgarian Quidditch team - that didn't strike her as the actions of a woman who was mourning her broken heart. In fact, Luna couldn't help but wonder if the relationship had started before her break up with George. But even if it had, it didn't excuse their actions, it didn't make it right.

"It doesn't change anything though, surely you must realize that." She pulled an old quill towards her and began tugging irritably at the feather, pulling off tiny tufts at a time. "Cheating is still cheating."

"Yes, it is." Cass agreed, pulling the Quill from Luna's hands before she could completely destroy it. "But it has been nearly six weeks. Don't think you have tortured yourself enough over it?"

Luna opened her mouth to tell her that, in fact, she didn't. Instead, Cass leaned forward and put her hand over Luna's lips to silence her. She smiled kindly into her eyes, a look warm and loving, one that reminded Luna of the mother who's memories were becoming hazier and hazier as the years passed. That was the very best thing about Aunt Cass, she helped to keep Luna's memories alive.

"Darling, you are a human being, and as such you are prone to suffer mistakes. You worship your mothers memory so, to the point that you seem to think that Carina never made a mistake in her life." She watched while a full head of steam brewed behind Luna's eyes. She was about to pull away, she was about to yell at her that her mother never would have slept with the intended of another and in that, she would have been right, but Carina hadn't been perfect. She had been far from it. Perhaps the time had come for Luna to know it.

"Calm yourself young lady, I will not take kindly to being yelled at." She waited until Luna's eyes had shifted back to rationality and then she relaxed back in her chair and smiled again - the soft smile so like Carina's.

"Your mother was a wonderful woman Luna, but she too had flaws. Your father has not told you of them because, first, it is the way of husbands that they forget the truth over time, and second, who would tell their daughter that her mother wasn't perfect?"

Luna pulled her hand away from her mouth, warily ready to listen. Cass wouldn't be willing to tell her these things unless she thought it was in her best interest. She and her father weren't the only ones who had loved Carina and still mourned her loss deeply.

"What was wrong with her?" She asked softly

"Wrong with her?" Cass looked surprised, her blue eyes wide and alarmed "Why nothing was wrong with Carina, but that she was a human being."

"I'm afraid I don't understand then."

"Your mother had a… well, I guess you could call it a knack, for saying things without thinking them through. There were times when it led to silliness, misunderstandings that were funny. She also had a bit of a temper and the two together were not a good thing. There were plenty of times when the things she said hurt people, your father mostly."

Cass sighed and turned her head to look out the window at the falling snow. She didn't like to think back, to remember bad things about her sister. It wasn't something she often had to do. But now, her daughter was in need, she needed to know that she was not the only one to make a mistake that hurt people. She had made plenty herself, but it was not her mistakes that Luna needed to hear about.

"You know, of course, that your mother was very bright. She had talent, real talent at defensive magic. During our fifth year when we were asked to consider our future, Professor Maddleworth- the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher- encouraged her to consider a future as an Auror." She turned back to Luna, not surprised to see the glint of pride in her eyes.

"Carina was excited by the idea, and so when we returned for our sixth year, she poured herself into her studies. But as the magic became more advanced, she began to struggle with transfiguration. Anyone else would not have called it struggling of course, but for a future Auror, it was a struggle. Professor Maddleworth assigned her a tutor - you know the rest of the story."

Luna smiled. Her father-a seventh year- had been the assigned tutor. Over the course of the year they became close -that summer he put a ring on her finger. They married the following July, after Carina had completed her studies.

"In the beginning, your father supported her desire to become an Auror, but as her training became more dangerous, when she starting coming home with curse marks and bruises, he started resenting it. And yet, he never asked her to give it up. He knew how much she longed for it, how hard she had worked. He knew it was Carina's dream and your father would never stop someone from reaching for what they truly wanted.

"It was she who made the decision to quit, when she saw how hard it was for your father to sit at home while she was off training to chase dark wizards, she decided to let her dream go and help him pursue his dream instead."

"The Quibbler," Luna whispered "I never knew, Daddy never told me she wanted to be an Auror, least of all that she had trained."

"No," Cass smiled and patted Luna's hands where they sat clenching tightly on her knees. "She put the past away after that. A year later, you were on the way, the magazine was taking off and things were going well. They were happy, until that night.

"She never really knew what set her off, the stress of having a new baby in the house, lack of sleep, her body and hormones going back into their proper place - who knows." Cass shrugged and gave Luna a small, sad smile. "They argued, a strange thing in itself because your parents were so agreeable it was almost annoying. It ended with your mother screaming at him that it was all his fault that she had lost her dreams, she said she was saddled down and her future was a hopeless mess that she couldn't escape from."

"My…" Luna's lips trembled with the tears she knew were about to come. Her mother had said such a horrible and terrible thing? "My mother said that; about daddy, about me?"

"She said it," Cass nodded, looking deeply into Luna's eyes. "But she didn't mean it; she certainly didn't believe it was true. Remember what I said about your mother saying things without thinking? Well, that was just one of those things. She was over tired, taking care of a new baby is not an easy thing. Your father was away a lot, the quibbler was doing well, but it still had a long way to go before he could quit his job at the Daily Prophet."

She wanted to believe her, but what if it was true? What if Carina had come to regret giving up her life to marry her father, if she regretting having her?

"Don't doubt how much your mother loved you Luna, I didn't tell you this to make you doubt your mother, if I had thought she meant what she said I would have never said a thing."

Slowly, Luna nodded. Cass would never do anything to hurt her, if she was not a hundred percent positive that her mother hadn't meant what she said, the story would have remained buried.

"So, what happened then? It was such a terrible thing to say…Daddy must have been…"

"Oh yes," A look of sadness crossed Cass's face, deep sadness for the memory. "He was devastated. You know how sensitive your father has always been, and he doted on your mother. He came to see me that night, he thought I might be able to help. He wanted me to convince Carina to leave him, to leave you, so she could go and have the life she wanted. Your mother came close on his heels, I'd never seen her cry so horribly as she did that night, knowing how badly she had hurt your father. And you too, even though you were only a tiny baby, she so hated herself for having hurt you.

"Your father forgave her, and though it took some time, she forgave herself. Eventually, it became nothing but a memory of a not very nice night, a shimmer of a time best left forgotten."

Luna squirmed in her chair, turning to look back towards the window where Fred had just finished typing the last bit of holly. While she watched, Angelina rushed up to meet him, trailed closely by George. Her stomach clenched painfully and she bit her lips together while they stood chatting happily.

"You told me this because you think I need to let this go, to just forget about it and walk away from the memory."

"No, I don't think this is the sort of thing you can ever forget, particularly not with a living reminder two doors down." Cass smiled and rose from her chair, putting her hands on Luna's shoulders. "But you do need to let it go, you need to forgive - and not just yourself."

Luna looked back out the window in time to see Angelina wave, seeing her attention, Fred waved as well. George looked at her for a brief second, then turned and walked away. Was she imagining the hurt look in his expression? She was pretty sure not, when she stopped to think about, it was the same expression he wore whenever he looked at her.

As she watched the three turn and walk away from the window a new awareness came to her.

He had every right to be hurt.

* * *

January

* * *

A loud, obnoxious pounding at the door was the last thing that Luna wanted to wake up to the first Sunday morning in January, but it was exactly what she got. She had been hoping to sleep in, in fact, she had been planning to spend the whole day in bed - it was her only day off. She had even gone to visit her father the night before, just so she could have the whole day to herself - hoping a day of rest might shake off whatever the nasty bug was that she had caught over the holidays.

It had started the week of Christmas, just in time for her to get busy. Cass had told her that she thought she was ready to take over running the magazine herself and she had reluctantly agreed. Cass had accepted a position beginning April 1st in Jamaica, it would take time to get a new assistant editor trained in and for Luna to be comfortable in the position of editor. Cass would be there solely in the role of advisor after the first of February.

Luna wasn't sure that was such a good idea, it was hard to be confident when you were spending more time throwing up than doing anything productive.

"Luna!" Ginny Weasley burst through the door and Luna looked up, wondering in a vague sort of way if her face was red from the cold or from her exertions pounding on the door. "Get up!"

"Why?" She rolled over and put the pillow back over her head. "It's my day off."

Ginny gave her sympathetic, yet impatient look "You've forgotten haven't you?"

"Forgotten?" She rolled back over, considering Ginny's words. Come to think of it, there had been something black over the space in her date book for today - she had gone out of her way to avoid noticing it the night before. "Crap, is that today?"

"Yes! It is!" Ginny tugged irritably on Luna's hand "And you were supposed to be there fifteen minutes ago. Mum and the others are at Madam Malkin's waiting, so let's go!"

Luna rolled over, and then sat up reluctantly. The last thing she wanted to do was go for a fitting on her bridesmaid dress. It had fit perfectly when they tried them on, only a bit long in the hem. Surely that could be easily adjusted the day of the wedding if need be.

"Ginny, do you really need me there?" She sat up, watching while Ginny tore through her closet for clothes. "I'm not feeling very well."

Ginny tossed a pair of black wool slacks and a white sweater on the bed, then knelt down and started picking through Luna's shoe boxes. She paused over one, wondering why Luna would box a single shoe, before dropping it to peruse the rack of more casual shoes on the door.

"Of course you need to come," She turned around, a pair of plain black loafers in one hand, a pair of thin knee socks in the other. "Luna, it is not just about dresses, it is about having my friends around me. This is an important time for me, two weeks from yesterday I am going to be Mrs. Harry Potter. You are my best friend, I want you to be a part of it, all of it."

Luna looked over at where Ginny knelt on the floor, her eyes gone misty. She was being a bit unfair really, Ginny was her best friend and they had hardly seen one another over the past few years between Ginny's being off playing Quidditch, and her off at school. She did need to be a part of this, all of it. Even if she did feel awkward being around George's family.

"You're right," She smiled and picked up the pants, then slid into them before going to her dresser for a bra. She clipped it in place, an absent thought came to her that she needed to lose the extra weight she had put on over the holidays - she was flowing a bit over the white lace these days.

"Alright," She pulled her sweater on, following it with socks and shoes before running a brush through her hair. "I'm ready. Let's go."

Ginny turned her arm, giving her watch a glare "We are so late, I hope the others went ahead and started."

"I'm sorry I forgot," Luna said, pushing her arms through the slits in her cloak. "It's been hectic lately."

"It's okay," Ginny smiled, able to relax now that they were on their way. "We've actually got plenty of time. We were booked for more time than we will need now that there are only four of you."

"Four?"

"Oh, right, you wouldn't know, would you, _her highness_ wasn't able to free herself when we picked out dresses." Ginny looked over at Luna, her face pinched and angry "There were supposed to be five bridesmaids, but given the circumstances, still having Alicia in the wedding is not an option. I'd rather die, bad enough I have to be civil to her in the locker room."

Luna felt her stomach clench and roll; why hadn't it occurred to her before? Of course Alicia had been part of the wedding plans, she was engaged to George - or she had been, until…

"I'm sorry," She said, not precisely sure what she was apologizing for. Because Ginny was now a bridesmaid short, because she had broken up her brothers engagement, whatever it was, she was sorry for it.

"Merlin's hairy butt, I'm not." Ginny grinned at her strangely as they crossed the street "I am glad they broke up, I was sick of watching that cow mess with my brothers head."

Luna was thankful that they had come to the front of Madam Malkin's, a response to Ginny's comment about Alicia would not be required. It was there though, another bit of proof that she and George had not been happy prior to Halloween. It didn't make it easier, knowing what she had done, but it had helped her to let go of some of the guilt. In the grand scheme of things, perhaps what happened between her and George hadn't had much to do with it at all.

"Luna!" Molly Weasley shouted happily, crossing through the busy shop, her arms outstretched. "There you are, how nice to see you."

She allowed herself to be hugged, though she wondered at the odd expression on Angelina's face, she was more than friendly. Over a month had passed since the last time she and George had really spoken - though they saw each other daily, they didn't go out of their way to communicate. They exchanged nods, an occasional hello if they passed on the street. It was Fred who took care of any business they might have with the Quibbler.

"I'm sorry I was late," She smiled sheepishly while Molly pulled her into the back of the shop to the private dressing rooms where Madam Malkin would be holding their fitting. "I forgot."

"No harm done," Hermione smiled while she sorted through the dress rack, then began handing them out according to the name taped to the pink plastic bag. When she finished, a bag was left conspicuously hanging on the rack. Luna tried to ignore it while she slipped quietly into one of the dressing rooms.

"Alicia told me she owled to cancel her dress." Ginny pulled the tag towards her then batted it away in a irritated huff.

Hermione snorted from her own dressing room "Lying about that too I reckon, like everything else."

"Now stop that," Molly chastised quietly, "What's done, is done. Just leave it be."

"Mum," Ginny turned away from the rack. "If you knew the things she was telling people about George, you wouldn't like it either."

"What sort of things?" Fleur asked curiously, she felt she was left out of things, living so far up the coast.

"She says that George cheated on her with some," She lowered her voice to a whisper "_whore, and that she caught them, right in the middle of doing it."_

Luna had to resist the urge to yell out that it was a lie, at least part of it. They hadn't been caught at anything.

"If Alicia had caught them, she wouldn't have left so quietly." Angelina pushed the door open with a loud thud, annoyance raising the hairs on her neck. "All she did was pack some of her things and leave. I know, I was downstairs."

Vastly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken, Molly pulled Alicia's unneeded dress from the rack, intending to have a word with Madam Malkin in the hopes that it could still be returned to the manufacturer.

"This is none of your concern," She said stiffly as she pushed the door open, "You should leave your brother to his own business."

When the door closed behind her, Hermione whispered to Angelina "It's true though isn't it? That George cheated on her?"

"Well, yes." It was not as if he had made a secret of it. She knew Harry and Ron knew, it only made sense that Ginny and Hermione knew as well. "But it wasn't at all like Alicia said. You should have seen how upset he was that night, you know how Alicia treated him, and running out on such an important night - to do a stupid advertisement for Quidditch boots of all things!"

"We'll, I don't blame him. She treated him like crap, as far as I am concerned, she got what she had coming." Ginny said, coming to knock on Luna's door. "Luna, are you decent?"

But she still stood there, quietly holding the dress bag tightly in her hands. "Just a minute."

She quickly kicked off her shoes, pulled off her sweater and pants, then zipped open the bag and yanked out the baby blue chiffon dress and pulled it over her head. She reached down, pulled the side zipper up but it stopped just under her breasts, unwilling to move any higher.

She looked down, noting the wide gap between the zippers teeth, then pulled the sides together, giving the tab another jerk and closing it all the way. The bodice was unbearably tight, her breasts pushed uncomfortably and unflatteringly over the top ruffle.

"What the hell?" She whispered, taking in the dress from the side. She knew she had put on a few pounds over Christmas, but not enough for this. She was not a large breasted woman, not normally, but now she was quite full in the chest.

"Is something wrong?" Ginny asked, knocking on the door again.

"Yes," Luna bent to pick the bag up off the floor where she had dropped it, gasping at the uncomfortable pressure in her breasts as the fabric squeezed. "I think they have given me the wrong dress. It doesn't fit."

She turned the bag in her hands, looking for the tag Madam Malkin had attached the day they bought the dresses. If she had somehow put on Alicia's dress by mistake, she was going to vomit all over the light pink walls. But it wasn't Alicia's dress - it was her own. She turned the knob, letting the door fall open.

"This can't be right," She held the bag out for Ginny, "Look at this, this can't be the same dress I tried on."

"Wow," Hermione and Angelina gaped at her chest "I reckon not."

"Help me out of this, please?" Luna lifted her arm, the dress had become quite painful now. Ginny had just tugged the zipper down when Molly returned with Madam Malkin.

"They can return the dress, it is not a problem." She smiled, taking in their dresses. "Oh, you all look so lovely!" Then she turned to Luna and her face dropped. "Oh dear."

"I think there was a mix up," Luna said, calmer now that she could breathe again. "I think my dress was switched with another."

"Well, let's see. " Madam Malkin pushed her glasses onto her thin nose from the chain she wore around her neck, then checked the tag on the bag Ginny held with the tag on the inside of the dress. "No, no this is the same dress you tried on."

"I'm sure it is just an alteration mistake," Molly said, patting Ginny on the arm, who had just started to slip into panic mode. "Easily fixed."

"Of course, worry not!" Madam Malkin began pushing Luna back towards the dressing room. "Take that off and we will re-measure you. I just don't understand how this could have happened, the dress was only meant to be hemmed."

"Oh bugger," Angelina looked at her watch, then pushed into the dressing room. "I have to be back, I promised Fred I wouldn't be gone long. Unlike some people, I am still required to attend practices the next two weeks, I have to leave in a couple hours."

"It's okay, go on." Ginny smiled, kissing her cheek as she rushed past. "Tell everyone hello for me."

"I will," Angelina waved before vanishing through the door.

"While Madam Malkin re-measures Luna, why don't we look at jewelry?" Molly suggested "We're cutting it close as it is, and if you don't find anything in stock it will have to be ordered."

"Oh yes, that is a wonderful idea." Madam Malkin said approvingly, taking their dress bags and hanging them back on the rack. "Dorrinne can help you with the catalogs if you don't see anything in the cases you like."

Ginny gave her a smile over her shoulder as they shuffled out. A moment later, Luna emerged, clothed in a thin satin dressing robe.

"This is so embarrassing," She said, stepping up onto the high platform in the middle of the room. "I hate to put you to so much work with so little time."

"Oh, don't worry about such things." Madam Malkin waved her words away, pulling out her tape measure. "I have been so pleased to have been trusted with the formal wear for this wedding. It is probably the biggest one I have ever done - well, at least the most famous."

Luna smiled a little, thinking about how hard Harry and the Weasley's had worked to keep the affair private. It wasn't easy, every witch and wizard in the world would have given every tooth in their heads for an invite to the wedding of Harry Potter. As much as it was difficult, it was an honor to be a part of it.

"Well that's strange." Madam Malkin had put her tape measure away and now she stood, comparing the measurements on Luna's original order to the new measurements she had just taken. "It does solve the mystery though. It seems you've gained a bit of weight. Your chest is bigger than when we originally ordered the dress."

Luna stared at her, dumbfounded. She knew she had put on a little weight, she had noticed her bra was a little tighter this morning, but the bodice on the dress had been plenty loose when they ordered them.

"Is my waist that much bigger? Why does it still fit okay everywhere else?"

"Well," she consulted the papers again "It seems to be just your chest." She put the papers down, then turned to Luna with a smile. "Not to worry, it is not so much that we would have to order a new dress. I can fix this up by tomorrow afternoon."

Luna nodded and turned away, glancing again into the mirror. She hadn't noticed it before, it was cold so she had been wearing big lumpy sweaters, but her breasts were bigger now.

"Don't worry dear," Madam Malkin patted her back, urging her back into the dressing room, then closed the door behind her. "It happens to the best of us over the holidays. My niece put on eight pounds in just the last two months, but then again, she is pregnant."

Luna felt the floor sway beneath her and she made a dash for the bench in the corner of the dressing room, a single word reverberating in her ears.

Pregnant.

Pregnant!

But…no…she couldn't be, she simply couldn't possibly be. Her mind began rushing for dates, adding then and subtracting numbers. The last date she remembered for sure had been two weeks before Halloween - just before she … and George … before they…. Before they…

'_Oh God no.'_

She leaned forward and put her head between her knees, the world had to have shifted, gone tilting madly sideways. This couldn't be happening to her. She had thought she was safe, she and Rolf had always used protection, and she should still have been protected by the potion she had taken at the start of the month, her gyno-healer told her it was good for thirty days and it had never failed her before - not in three years.

"Luna?" Ginny knocked on the door "Are you okay in there?"

'_No Ginny!' _she wanted to scream _'No I am not okay! I'm…'_

"I'm fine, I'll be out in a minute."

She forced the lie out, struggling with the growing pressure of bile in her throat. She needed to get out of there, to go home, to crawl back into bed and pretend this day had never happened. Better yet, pretend the last two months had never happened, that Halloween had never happened.

"Okay, but we need to find you shoes too."

"Alright," She choked back another bit of vomit. "Just let me get dressed."

"I hope you don't mind high heels, I know it is not really fair, but we need to make you a little taller so you won't look so tiny next to George."

The world rocked violently and Luna threw her hand up over her mouth, pushed the door open, then barely made it into the bathroom before she threw up.

"Luna!" Ginny and Hermione stood outside the bathroom door, their voices scared and worried "Are you okay?"

She gave a last shudder, the heat of her tears warming her cheeks as they fell, then she fell back against the wall and wrapped her arms around her knees and let her head fall back against the wall.

It all made sense now, everything. The vomiting, her breasts being bigger and sore, she had not even realized it in all the stress over what happened - but she had not had a period since October. She was in trouble, she was in such trouble!

"Luna," Ginny knocked, more insistent this time "Are you okay in there?"

'_No! I'm not okay! I'll never be okay again because I'm…I'm…'_

"I'll be right out."

'_I'm pregnant!'_


	7. A Darker Midnight

Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

* * *

A/N : My next chapter, chapter 8, is the last chapter I have written. o, just a warning, updates will be a little slower now. Chapter 8 needs a lot of tweaking. I'll get it up as soon as possible. If you're reading this and loving it, I would love to hear from you in reviews!

CJ-LOG

* * *

The Fractured Fairy Tale

Chapter Six

A Darker Midnight

* * *

Luna was finding it nearly impossible to pay attention to where she was going while she walked towards the Quibbler office the Friday before Ginny Weasley's wedding.

A sound reached her ears, a familiar, loud raucous racket. Friday afternoon at Weasley Wizards Wheezes, the day that Fred and George changed their window display. She looked up, staring across the street where the two stood arguing over a speaker they were trying to place above the window.

George Weasley - the last person she wanted to see that day.

"_You are definitely pregnant." The voice of Healer Northam was clear and concise, not offering any room to question his authority on the matter. "About ten weeks." _

Ten weeks, which would put the date of conception at Halloween, right to the dot. Practically on the hour. She stared at George's back, torn between running to him and blurting out everything, and using her wand to assure that he would never father children again.

She considered, for a minute, turning back. Running to hide at Mr. Fortescue's Ice Cream parlor. It was far too cold for ice cream, but he made the most wonderful hot cocoa. She could hide out there for a little while, long enough for them to go back inside so she could slip past unnoticed. She turned on her heel, then turned back. It was printing day, Cass and Eliot - the new assistant editor- would be up to their elbows in the February 1st edition. She didn't dare leave them alone with it. Cass had only come in because Luna had an appointment, one she was wishing badly she had rescheduled.

How was she ever going to be able to get through Ginny's wedding now? She had to be in the same line as him, had to take his arm while they walked through the recessional, then sit at the same table during dinner. And then, worst of all, she had to dance with him. He would be touching her again, her hand in his, the other low on her back. How was she ever to get through it, knowing what she knew now?

It would have been better to wait to see the healer until the wedding was over, surely only suspecting would have been easier than knowing for sure that your life was about to change forever. Wouldn't it?

She took a deep, steadying breath, and then forced herself to move. She was supposed to go to the rehearsal dinner tonight as well, she would owl Ginny, claim a problem with the printing. There was no way she could handle going through it twice.

They were still arguing when she reached the other side of the street, it was enough to give her hope that they might not even notice she was there - her hope was short lived.

"Hey Luna," Fred called out, turning away from the speaker to grin at her in the charming way he always did when he saw her. She turned to face him, forcing a smile, her eyes deliberately avoiding George.

"Hello, Fred" She grit her teeth before turning to George. "Hello, George."

He rasied his hand in acknowledgement, yet didn't look up.

"Settle an argument?" Fred waved her over, and then pointed to a line of flashing, neon colored flags that lay on the pile of snow by his feet. "Do you think those look gaudy?"

She couldn't resist grinning, it was such an easy opening, she couldn't leave it go unanswered. "Since when do you care about gaudy?"

Fred looked at her, feigning offense, then he elbowed George who had been deliberately paying attention to the end of the flags where he had been untying a knot. "You hear that George, she called us gaudy."

He shrugged, still not looking up. "Maybe she thinks we are gaudy."

Luna felt a strange twinge at his words, there was more there than what he was saying. He sounded like a puppy that might have been hurt a time or two too many, like he was speaking of the person who had kicked him. She knew she had not been particularly friendly to him since October, and since he didn't know that she was the woman he had been with, he had no idea why. The compassionate part of her felt badly about that, but the bigger part, the part that was still hurt by his having been engaged, and shaken from finding out she was pregnant, felt it was his own fault. Anything he was getting now he had earned, and as so, was richly deserved.

"Excuse me," She attempted to smile, but could not quite make it work "We are printing today, I need to get back."

"We'll see you tonight then." Fred said, glancing between George and Luna, wondering as he so often did what was behind the hostility between them while he watched Luna walk away.

George was convinced that it was because Luna had heard gossip Alicia was spreading about. They had done some checking around and sure enough, she had dropped a few colorful comments. They _were _the sort of thing that would make any woman leery of being around a man who had done such things. But this was George, few people who had heard them actually believed a word of it and even among those who did, had subtracted a great amount from the total of what Alicia had said. It was possible that Luna was one of the very, very rare few who actually believed, but that didn't sound much like the Luna he knew. Luna had been the center of so many horrible rumors herself, she wouldn't be so quick to believe rumors about another - not without proof.

No, he was fairly sure there was something else behind it, and deep down, he had a pretty good guess as to what it was, even though George had witnessed proof to the contrary. Either she knew the dancing girl, or she was the dancing girl.

"I think you should confront her." Fred picked up the string of flags, then began stringing them up on the hooks above the window. Luna was right about one thing; when had gaudy ever bothered them before?

"Who?" George was distracted as usual, and Fred was fairly sure where his mind had gone. The dancing girl. He had spent the holidays obsessing about her, even though he had not said a word - it had been pretty obvious. More than once he had come into the flat and found George staring into space, the clear acrylic shoe in his hands.

"Luna, that's who." He pulled the end of the string of flags from George's hands, then pushed him down the side walk. George stopped, turning back towards Fred.

"Why stir things up?" He reached up, securing a hook tighter into place "She has made it more than obvious that she can't stand the sight of me, it's going to be hard enough tomorrow without getting her riled up before hand."

"George, are you really so sure that she's not the one?"

"I'm not sure of anything anymore." He shrugged. tying a knot on the end of the string to hold the last of the flags in place. They had been his idea, but now that they were up, he had to agree with Fred, they were pretty tacky. "You know, I think you were right, these are a bit much."

He started to untie the knot again, Fred watched him in annoyed wonder.

Fred waved his wand over the hooks, letting them fall to the ground. He had taken forever putting them there in the first place, he was not going to take another hour to take them out. He could 'reparo' the wood when he was done. "Well, look at the facts. The two of you got on fine before Halloween, since then she either acts as if you don't exist, or like she out and out doesn't like you much."

"And her believing Alicia's rumors is the perfect explanation for that."

"Even though Ginny told her differently." Fred countered, not about to give up.

"Fred, I saw her, the day after Halloween, snogging her boyfriend. I mean, it was just … hell, hours!" He pulled the shop door open in frustration and let it slam back against the wall. "Alicia and I were not snogging after I cheated, I'll tell you that much."

"Maybe he didn't find out," Fred followed him, tossing the flags on the counter before closing the door. "Or maybe he did. Have you seen him around since that day? I haven't, and we have both been in the office plenty of times."

George considered what he was suggesting, it was something to think about. But if it were true, if Luna was hiding the fact that she was the dancing girl, it was obvious why she was. She regretted being with him, plain and simple.

"I don't know, you have a point, but…"

"Look, at the very least you need to get to the bottom of all this," Fred said reasonably "We work two doors down from one another, you see her … how many times a day? I should think you would at least want to clear the air so you can be near one another. If you won't do it for yourself, at least do it for Ginny."

"You're right," George allowed, he owed it to his sister to see to it that her wedding wouldn't be married by any unpleasantness. True, he and Luna had not had any true friction between them since Christmas, but tomorrow would be the wrong time to put a fragile truce to the test. "I'll talk to her tonight, after the rehearsal and before the dinner."

He only hoped that it would go smoothly, Ginny would kill him if it ruined her wedding.

* * *

Luna could feel his eyes boring into her back as she walked away, questioning, probing, trying to figure out why she was being the way she was. It was taking all of her resolve to not turn back and scream at him that he had ruined her life. Perhaps it was the memory of Aunt Cass's story of the night Carina had turned ugly words to her father - a perfect mirror of the words Luna was thinking - on to her father, that was stopping her. She and George needed to talk, and they would talk, but they would not do it on a public street for all to see and hear. This was definitely a conversation that needed to be held in private.

"Ah, there you are!" Cass smiled, looking away from a high stack of freshly printed magazines she was tying with string. "I was expecting you some time ago, we need to…" Her voice trailed off at the sight of Luna's face.

"Oh dear." She dropped the string, rushing to Luna's side as she slid weakly into her chair, her face in her hands. "For sure?"

"Yes, for sure." She reached out for a tissue, bringing it back to swipe at the wetness under her eyes. She wanted to let go, to having a screaming, yelling, sobbing fit - but she didn't dare with Eliot in the printing room next door.

Cass pulled the chair from her desk and sat at Luna's side, her hand rubbing small, comforting circles over her back, it was the same thing Carina did when she was sick as a small child.

"What am I going to do Aunt Cass? This is just … the last, beyond the last thing I need right now. What will Daddy think when 'Carina' starts showing up to visit looking like I have swallowed a melon?" She shook her head and began tearing the tissue to pieces in her lap. "He won't be able to take this, it will be too much, he is barely holding on as it is."

Cass put her hands over Luna's where they had managed to make a fairly impressive pile of the shredded soggy tissue. Honestly, she was not sure if Xenophilius was enough in his mind to notice a difference. There was also the sad truth that if the healers were right, there was a good possibility that by the time she had to worry about it, he would be gone. His heart was getting weaker, he was spending more time in bed, and when he was more confused than ever. The day after Christmas he started screaming because he thought a healers assistant had taken "Luna" from her crib. Soon, Luna would have to make the choice whether or not to send him to a hospice, or bring him home to die. Faulkner center did not have the means to assist in the process of dying. An unplanned pregnancy was the last thing she needed right now.

"You know of course," She watched Luna carefully, unsure how she might take what she was about to suggest. Her niece was funny about certain things, modern and trendy in some ways, stubbornly old fashioned in others. "There is nothing saying that you have to go through it."

Luna nodded. She didn't need this, not only was the timing wrong, but the circumstances were abhorrent at best. Her feelings towards George Weasley - at least before she found out she was pregnant - had ranged from hate, to dislike, to mild distaste. Since finding out, she had been firmly on the side of hate. The very idea that he had used her to cheat on Alicia - it was something that she tried not to think about because it sent her running to the bathroom. Yes, she had been consenting, she had been just as willing as he. The difference was, she and Rolf had broken things off the day before. She had been free to be with him - he had not been free to be with her. But she was hardly lily white in all this. Hadn't she been using him? Hadn't she thought sleeping with him would be a great ball of spit to put in Rolf Scamander's eye? She was just as guilty as he was, it was high time she accepted her own culpability.

Having this baby meant allowing him into her life, _for the rest of her life_. There would be no getting away from him. At the moment, it was not a particularly pleasant idea.

But on the other side, this child was innocent of all that. He had not asked to be conceived, why should he pay for the sins of his parents? It hadn't been long ago that she had watched innocent people die, friends, and friends of friends. She still remembered the sight of Harry Potter, looking to be dead as he lay on the ground at Voldemort's feet. She remembered the anguish, the sorrow at seeing someone she cared so much about lying dead - his life cut tragically short. It hadn't been long enough that Luna could take life for granted. They were all, each and every single one of them, far, far too precious. That was why she knew, despite how complicated it all was, that she couldn't take the easy way out.

"I can't," She said, a part of her fought with the words, wishing that she could feel differently. "I just can't."

Cass smiled and patted her shoulder. "I didn't think you could. You are too much like your mother, she wouldn't have been able to either."

Usually Luna was pleased to be told she was like her mother, in this case, she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not. It would be so much easier if she could.

"Well, you don't have to decide right now, give it some time." Cass pulled back and looked at her sternly. "No matter what you decide though, you will have to talk to him, soon. This is not the sort of thing that you have a right to keep to yourself."

Luna nodded, recognizing the look in her Aunts eyes. They were gentle as they always were, but hidden deep inside was censure, a warning that if Luna did not do the right thing, that she might just do it for her. Cassiopeia Corvus was an indulgent woman, she loved and cherished her niece just as she had her sister, but there was one thing she would not tolerate. She would not stand for injustice, and if Luna tried to keep this from George, she would step in - Luna didn't doubt it for a minute.

"I will talk to him Aunt Cass, I promise." She reached for a tissue, wiping away at the wetness on her face. "But I can't do it now, I won't risk upsetting Ginny's wedding. She and Harry have been waiting so long for this day to come. I'll go see him on Sunday, when it's all over."

Cass looked at her critically, looking for signs that Luna might be trying to get one past her. Finally, she nodded and patted her on the shoulder, then rose and went back to tying off stacks of magazines. Luna watched her quietly, trying not to think about the conversation she knew she had to have. She would take it one step at a time, slowly, otherwise she might not make it at all.

* * *

George was surprised by how quietly accepting Luna had been of his company thus far. They had made it through the wedding and she had not given him so much as a dirty look while she stood in line, and when he offered his arm for the recessional, she took it genially, even given him a small smile, though he had feeling that she did not seem at all pleased with having to do it.

She was quiet over dinner, and he didn't attempt conversation. Instead, he allowed the happy chatter of the rest of the wedding party take over. Fred and Angelina were always happy to fill up what might have otherwise been an awkward silence. The time was fast coming though, the time he dreaded most of all. It was required of the wedding party, a dance, each with their matching partner. The bride and groom, best man and matron of honor, bridesmaid and groomsman. Despite Luna's quiet acceptance of their shared responsibilities for the day, he had a bad feeling about this one.

He watched silently from outside while the tables rearranged themselves for dancing. Very soon, they would have to make an entrance once again, he would escort her on his arm just before Harry and Ginny would start the dancing. It was such a simple thing, this was the fourth wedding he had taken a part in - he had even had to make a toast as best man when Fred married Angelina- so why was he having performance anxiety now?

"George," Hermione called from the side of the tent, her voice vastly irritated "We're waiting on you, come on."

He looked over, Luna stood by his side, looking beautiful, but calmly aloof. He could do this, he could get through this one last thing, and then their shared responsibilities for the night were over. He breathed in and out deeply as he stepped closer to her, wishing that he had been able to speak with her the night before - but she had not come to the rehearsal, Ginny said she was not feeling well. Maybe, if they had talked things out, it wouldn't be so awkward now.

At her side now, he forced a nervous smile and offered his arm. She took it, returning his smile slightly, yet he noticed she stood as far away from him as decorum would allow. They would be entering last, so they stood silently while the others moved forward, waiting their turn.

"Are you ready for this?" He asked conversationally

"Ready as I will ever be I suppose." She answered back, he wasn't sure exactly how she meant it, but he didn't think she meant it in particularly nice terms

"Well," he said sarcastically "I'll try to make it painless."

Luna opened her mouth to answer, but their cue to move had arrived and she felt George tug her forward - she had no choice but to follow. The spotlight was blinding and Luna, who had never been one to favor attention in the first place, felt herself stumble. George reached out a hand to steady her - his touch like an electric zing through her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly into her ear

"I'm fine," She said, disconcerted by his show of concern. He was behaving the exact opposite of the picture she had painting of him in her mind over the past few months - she found it quite confusing. She managed a small smile, a genuine smile in gratitude. "Thank you."

The smile nearly knocked George flat. He had seen many moods of Luna Lovegood over the past couple of months, but he had not seen her friendly towards him in as long as he could remember. And for some reason, it made him happy.

He lead her around the dance floor, then took her hand and bowed deeply, waiting for her answering curtsey. When he rose, he realized she was smiling again, not quite the smile of before, but there was no sarcasm, no falseness. It warmed him.

And Luna was smiling, she was happy. They were almost to the finish line, she had made it this far - just another few minutes and she was home free. She could finish this dance and then she would make her excuses and leave. A nasty little reminder slipped into her mind of the conversation she had to have with George the next day, but she pushed it aside desperately. She didn't dare think about it now, if she did, she would run away screaming.

"Shall we?" He said, looking deeply into her eyes. Luna blushed, the way he looked at her reminded her a little too much of the way he had looked at her on Halloween. She had almost forgotten how charming he could be when let past her barriers.

"Yes," She said, sweeping out of the curtsey and putting her hand on his shoulder. "Let's." In her mind she added the words - _'Get this over with.'_

A sweet melody began from the speakers and she felt his arm go around her back, his hand coming to a stop low upon her waist.

It was strange, holding her like this. Like it was not the first time, though he had never danced with Luna Lovegood before in his life. There was something about holding her in his arms as they swayed back and forth, it felt so familiar, _achingly_ familiar. Once again, he thought of the dancing girl.

He pulled her closer, surprised to find that she allowed it. He bent his head lower, letting his cheek come to rest on her temple. It was nice, so nice, being with her like this. No coldness, no hostility, no bitterness. Just this…whatever it was.

It was too much temptation to resist, being in his arms, the safety and security. It was like night, that first bit of attraction, the soothing feeling - like he was a salve rubbed over the wounds carved in her heart by Rolf Scamander. She wanted more, she needed more, and so when he pulled her closer, she let him. She welcomed him. So much had gone wrong since that night, so much was _still _going to go wrong. For just a moment - just this one moment, she wanted to be at rest, she wanted to be at peace.

_I'll love you forever, simple and true_

_Every day, I'm more love with you_

_We'll build our tomorrows, one by one_

_Yesterdays memories, in our hearts shall run_

_For eternity I'll love you, For eternity I'll need you_

_For eternity, my only one._

George listened to the words of the song that Harry and Ginny had chosen for their first dance as man and wife. Just like everything else for the wedding, they had chosen perfectly. Ginny had dreamed of a future with Harry since she was ten years old, and those dreams had come true- their love had survived so much, time and distance and war. How he envied them! He wanted that, what they had, he wanted it all.

The music came to a soft close, the last notes drifting off into the corners of the tent. For a moment, Luna stood, paralyzed by the spell they had cast over her, and then reality returned. She pulled out of George's arms, aghast that she had let him get so close. The music had bewitched her, words of hope and promise of things that could never be, not for her. A hot and furious bitterness ran through her. It was unfair, so unfair! She would never have happily ever after. Her future was fractured beyond repair, like delicate blown glass dropped on a concrete floor - there was no hope to repair it. There were too many pieces to hope to make it whole again.

"Luna…" George looked at her, his eyes oddly hurt. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She turned on her heel, then began to walk away.

George watched completely befuddled by her sudden change in mood. A sudden and fierce anger rose within him. He was tired of it, sick and tired of her acting as if he was scum on the toe of her shoe. He was going to have it out with her, and he was going to have it out with her now.

He turned and followed her out of the tent, just catching her as she slipped towards the high grass that ringed the Burrow to apparate. He quickened his pace, hoping to catch her before she left, but ready to follow her back to Diagon Alley if need be. He found her, just pulling her wand out of her bag.

"What is your problem?" He growled, reaching out and snatching away her bag before she was able to pull her wand from within it.

Luna looked up at him in surprise - she hadn't been expecting him to follow her. "I…I don't feel well, I need to go home."

"No!" He took her elbow when she tried to turn away from him. "I've had enough of this, I want some answers."

She was trying to pull herself together, he could see it, the struggle on her face, the war she was waging with herself. She wanted desperately to let him have it, to yell and scream and give him a good telling off - and yet, she was holding herself back.

"What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?" He asked, desperate for answers. It was eating at him, this not knowing. Was she the dancing girl; did she feel he had wronged her in some way? If that was the case, he was ready to fall on his knees and beg for forgiveness. But if this was something else, if this was about Alicia- about the rumors she had been spreading - then Luna Lovegood had a right to a bit of hostility tossed in her direction as well.

"I don't hate you." She said a bit of resignation in her tone before she stiffened again. "But I don't like you much either."

"Why?" He handed back her bag, then stuffed his hands in his pocket and leaned back against a tree, trying to understand, hoping to make some sense of the chaos. "What did I do to you?"

Was she the dancing girl? He wanted to know, yet he couldn't bring himself to ask.

And Luna couldn't bring herself to tell him. She had to, he had a right to know, but once he knew, it would change _everything_.

"I know the things you've done - and they are not at all nice."

"So," George pushed off the tree, his face reflecting the anger he felt inside. "You've heard the rumors and have decided to believe the lies Alicia has been spreading. Is that it?"

Luna was taken aback, she didn't know anything about rumors, or that Alicia had been spreading lies. But as she thought about it, she remembered the others talking about it the day they were fitted for the wedding. Alicia had been spreading rumors, she just hadn't heard them. The situation was getting worse and worse by the minute, and that wasn't good. She needed to get her feelings under control, there were things that were more important and she had known that coming into today - it was why she had worked so hard to be civil. She had just blown that, but maybe it was not too late to make it right.

"It doesn't matter what I thought." She said simply, her voice much calmer now, more rational. "We…"

"_It doesn't matter?" _He looked at her, his eyes cold and angry. "How can you say that to me? For months you've been acting like I'm a leper, like scum." He forced the worst of his anger down. He still had to see her every day, they worked two doors down from each other, it would not do for things to get to the point of out and out hatred between them. He would keep her at arms length - he would settle for cool indifference.

"I'm done Luna." he backed off, shaking his head as he tossed her bag into her arms. "I've been trying for weeks to understand what I could have possibly done to deserve this from you, and in the end, I find out I have done _nothing_. Everything you have heard from Alicia is a lie, every last word save for one - I made a mistake, a huge mistake that has tossed my life into complete chaos. No matter what you heard, you don't need to rub my face in it, because I regret it more than you could ever imagine."

Luna stared at him, hurt by his words despite herself. It was nothing she had not assumed herself, but knowing the truth, hearing it from his lips - it was like being crushed. Shocking, because she had not realized how much she cared or that she cared at all.

"George," She moved towards him, guilt and shame for the things she had said and done over the past couple of months riding over her like shark filled waves, tearing her flesh, biting her soul. "I'm sorry… I…"

"It doesn't matter." His voice was tired and weary. "Just stay away from me Luna, and I promise I will give you the same courtesy."

He began to turn away and suddenly she was afraid, this was not how it was supposed to be. There was too much, too many things that couldn't be undone. She had to tell him-she had to tell him the truth- she had to tell him _everything_.

"George, wait." She reached out for his arm, desperate to stop him. "We need to talk, there is something…"

He turned back to her, his face showed the exhaustion he felt inside. After all these months, he was worn out. He didn't have the energy for this anymore. He just wanted his life back. No, he wanted to start over. He wanted a new life. A happy, peaceful life.

"Luna, whatever it is, I don't give a shit." He pulled her hand from his arm and turned away again. "I'm done."

Luna watched him, desperate to make one last plea. "George, please…"

"Just go Luna." He turned back to return to the tent, not even bothering to look at her as he said his parting words. "Enough is enough."

She didn't say another word as she watched him walk through the tall grass back toward the tent. A part of her wanted to go after him, to make him listen to her. But she was the daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood, tough, strong, far too proud to beg. The biggest part of her wanted to fall down in the grass and have a good cry - and she would cry, but she would wait until she was back at the flat, back in the quiet of her own bedroom.

She pulled open her bag, then dug out her wand. She stood for a moment, looking up at the blue black sky. In the long run, this was for the best. She had done as Aunt Cass had told her to do, she had tried to tell him about the baby. Cass couldn't fault her for keeping it to herself now.

She took a deep breath, then clenched her wand tightly in her hand, twisted, and apparated back to Diagon Alley.

George slipped out from the entrance of the tent where he had been watching her, a horrible sinking feeling in his gut. He had told her to go away, to leave him alone - and yet he wished that she had come after him. If she had, he wouldn't have been able to rebuff her again. Dancing girl or not, he cared about her. He hadn't realized how much until she was gone.

No, she had believed the lies, the terrible rumors that Alicia had spread about him. He didn't need friends like that.

But what if she was the dancing girl? What if that was the real reason she was upset by him? If Luna was his mystery woman, he had just cast her out of his life. As he thought about it, he began to consider for the first time that it might not be such a bad thing. His life _had been _chaos since meeting her. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to regret having been with her. What did that mean, and what did any of this have to do with Luna Lovegood?

He couldn't escape the feeling that one thing had something to do with the other. He felt it more now than ever.


End file.
